


Shadows

by CJinn



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-11 14:12:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 51,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15317235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJinn/pseuds/CJinn
Summary: The Empire is throwing shadows over the galaxy after the fall of the Republic. Meanwhile Obi-Wan Kenobi is facing shadows of his own while exiled after Order 66.





	1. The Travel

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All characters and locations belong to George Lucas/Disney. I'm just exploring their galaxy for fun. 
> 
> Story has previously been posted to fan fiction . net and TFN

The twin suns were rapidly sinking towards the horizon. In a couple of hours the heat of the day would dissipate and transform into the freezing nights in the desert.

«Now I really understand why Anakin always cursed the sand,» Obi-Wan Kenobi muttered through clenched teeth, trying to avoid a mouthful of said substance.

 _Oh, Anakin…_ The pain was still excruciating. Raw, intense, heartbreaking.

_Why did you do it? Why did I do it? You were my brother in everything except birth, and still it came to this. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't I listen? No, don't go down that road, Kenobi, you can mourn later. Now you have to get Luke to his family safe and sound. Then you may allow yourself to feel again._

A whimper from the infant in his arms made him startle. «Shhh, little one, we will soon be home where you will meet your uncle Owen and aunt Beru», he whispered softly, hoping it would be the truth.

…

It had indeed been a long journey even though it had lasted only 4 standard days. He'd never known that infants could be so…demanding. Of course he'd had his fair share of creche duty in the Temple, but those hours had been spent with the toddlers. Not with the infants. During the last days he'd had to be a quick learner.

He had volunteered to bring the baby to Tatooine after Padme's unexpected death. However, there hadn't been any time for preparations, which he sorely regretted when he was on the first of 4 public transports that eventually would bring him there from Polis Massa. The baby had slept when he entered the ship, but two hours after the departure the boy woke up. He was definitely not happy. The wails coming from such a small person were absolutely disturbing.

_Great, Kenobi, just great. You wanted to go unnoticed and hide the child and the first thing you do is making the entire crowd of people in the compartment watching you… Well done, indeed._

He desperately tried to calm the boy, but all efforts were in vain until an elderly human lady approached.

«This little one seems to be hungry?»

«Well, yes, he may be. We didn't have much time before the transport left, so I really didn't have time to buy any.»

«Buy? He's so small. He needs to be nursed. Where is his mother?» the woman looked suspiciously at Obi-Wan.

«She…died in labor. I'm taking the boy to family.» Better not say anything about whose family he was going to see. If the woman noticed the lack of details, she didn't comment.

«Oh, you poor man. Your wife has passed away so recently and you're going to take care of this little one on a ship like this?»

«We didn't have any other possibilities, I'm afraid. It was the only transport we could get this week.»

The woman nodded thoughtfully. «Wait a moment.» Obi-Wan could see her moving to a seat across and a couple of rows the aisle, talking to a younger woman who had her own child in her arms. Luke cried even louder, if that was at all possible. A little while later the woman came back.

«The woman over there is my daughter in law. She's still nursing her daughter and I asked if she possibly could help feeding your little boy. She said yes. Would you let me take him to her? I'm Rheena Glib, by the way. My daughter in law's name is Caella.»

«I'm…Ben and this is Luke,» Obi-Wan answered. He felt uncomfortable lying to Rheena, but using his own name did definitely not seem to be a good idea. After all his name had been mentioned quite frequently in the holo-news during the Clone Wars, and right now he had to take for granted that there would be clone troopers looking out for stray jedi all over the galaxy. Being recognized now would _not_ be a good thing.

Carefully he handed Luke over to Rheena who carried him over to the younger woman. The angry wailing soon calmed down. 15 minutes later Rheena came back with a contently sleeping Luke.

«Thank you,» Obi-Wan said, «I'm truly thankful for this.»

«Well, we couldn't let him cry like that the entire journey,» Rheena answered, «when we reach Ankoth there is a market not very far from the spaceport. I'm sure you can find some white milk there and some kind of bottles too. Stay away from blue milk for such a small one.» «And,» she added cheerfully, «you will definitely need some diapers too.»

Obi-Wan paled.

…

Two days and three flights later he'd learned some lessons not taught in the Jedi Temple. 1) changing diapers on a kicking little boy was considerably more difficult than lifting boulders with the force, 2) bottle feeding a child tended to create a mess, especially on his right hand shoulder, when he held the boy to make it easier for him to burp and 3) being able to give the child a mild sleep suggestion every now and then really came in handy. He assumed his fellow travelers were grateful for that too. Obviously the child did not care for hyperspace travels. Obi-Wan understood him well. He'd never liked the transition from moving in real space among stars and planets to being thrown out into the vast, cold emptiness of hyperspace.

They arrived at Mos Eisley spaceport in the evening the third day after leaving Polis Massa and Obi-Wan quickly disembarked the ship, hiding Luke under his robe. He really didn't want to attract trouble and a single man carrying a child might very well attract some of the not-so-nice individuals passing through the space port. Luke appeared willing to cooperate and kept still until they were safe out of the spaceport area. "Thanks, my little friend. You're really becoming a good travel companion," Obi-Wan whispered.

The next challenge was to find a land based transport. Anakin had been very quiet about his visit to the Lars' Homestead before the battle of Geonosis. However, he had mentioned that the homestead was situated out in an area called Jundland Wastes, near the Dune Sea. Somehow Obi-Wan suspected that it would be a large area to search unless someone actually could tell him where to find the Lars family. However, traveling during the night with a baby was a total no-go, so he decided to try find a shelter for the night. The first attempt failed. The porter did look dubious and so did the accommodations. The next place looked more promising. The chubby woman in the reception seemed to be in her mid-forties, with pink hair and a rather luminous orange tunic.

"A room for the night? For you and the little one? Well, we're actually full booked but there is a small room in the attic, not much more than a closet but there is a couch you can sleep on, and I guess the child doesn't need a bed on it's own. It will be 200 credits, and you can use the fresher on the second floor. Just be careful with the use of water."

Obi-Wan sighed quietly in relief. Remembering the trouble his old master Qui-Gon had had 12 years ago when he tried to buy a hyperdrive for a nubian ship with republic credits, Obi-Wan had partly expected that the small pile of credits Bail Organa had given him would be refused and thus of no value for him. Carrying the boy and the small satchel upstairs he really looked forward to cleaning up himself and the boy a bit - with some luck they would have a sonic cleaner so he could clean up both himself _and_ the clothes. He would save the sparse amounts of water for the child.

The following day he rose early. The couch had been lumpy and not very comfortable, but surprisingly clean. It might have had something to do with the size of the room. The bulky woman had been right when she'd compared it to a closet. He'd managed to squeeze in with the boy, and for possibly the first time in his life he'd been truly grateful that he'd been blessed with a rather modest height. Qui-Gon would _never_ have fit in there.

Some discreet investigations had revealed that there actually was a shuttle going from Mos Eisley to Anchorhead two days a week, and the departure would be one standard hour before mid day. The ticket cost him another 20 credits, but he managed to get a seat in the rickety old vehicle, something he was grateful for. The journey was uneventful and early in the afternoon he stood outside the shuttle station in Anchorhead. Anakin had mentioned that this was the nearest larger settlement to the homestead. What he'd not mentioned was which direction one should go in from there. Obi-Wan stroke his chin pensively while trying to protect Luke from the blazing suns by keeping him covered by his robe. He couldn't possibly walk out into the desert with the child, without even knowing the right direction. He really had to come up with a better idea than that.

Two hours later, 100 credits poorer and one eopie richer he'd also learned that most of the moisture farms were situated west of the small town. Hopefully that would also be the case for the Lars' Homestead. The eopie seemed to be a fairly young and yet patient animal which obediently kneeled when he gave the command "nee chokaa". With the reins in his left hand, Luke safely tucked in between his torso and his right arm he set out to the west.


	2. Homecoming

"Shhhhhhh….shhhhhhhh….shhhhhhhh"….

The desert is a lonely place which holds it's own beauty. The beauty lies in the vast emptiness, the sand whispering over the plains and in small dust devils dancing in the breeze as day turns to night and the temperature is falling, creating temperature differences forcing the very air to move.

Under other circumstances Obi-Wan would have appreciated the sight before him. The golden sands were stretching out towards a mountain ridge far in the west. Not a trace of living beings were seen but the dust seemed to live it's own life above the sand. But right now he'd actually prefer to see a house, a settlement…a something…that could break the emptiness, and even more important give shelter for the baby through the night. Somehow he felt that the Tatooinian desert definitely wasn't the right place for an overnight stay with an almost newborn child.

Most of all he wanted to see the Lars' Homestead.

Preferably before nightfall.

He squinted towards the settling suns, trying to see more details in the landscape. There really should be a settlement here? He couldn't have come so far astray. Then he saw it. To the west, maybe two or three klicks, he could se two…no, 3…4….5 small domes hovering above the sand dunes. That had to be the moisture farms he'd been told about in Anchorhead. But which one would be the Lars' place?

He halted the eopie: "Stay, girl, stay…" Luke was still sound asleep towards his chest. He stilled his mind and stretched out for the small distant spots. Laughter, tired after a long day's work, some vague loneliness. No, nothing that could be defined as his destination. His mind stretched further out. Quiet. Peace. A touch of sorrow…anger…darkness. Just the tiniest bit as if something had been anchored to the dry soil.

_Anakin! Anakin was there and it's the remainders of his feelings I can sense. I'm sure of it. That must be the right place. This must be the remainders of what he felt like when his mother died. The feelings must have been intense enough to be remaining even so long time afterwards._

Obi-Wan returned to the moment and turned the eopie slightly southwards. It had to be one of the two small domes he could see to the south. It _had_ to!

…..

Half an hour later the eopie stopped in front of the nearest dome. A couple of vaporators could be seen nearby. One tenth of a klick to the north he could see two tombstones, one visibly newer than the other. One of them was most likely Shmi Skywalker's tomb, but who was the other?

"Nee chokaa!"

The eopie knelt and he got down with Luke still well hidden under his robe. The silhouettes of two persons, a man and a women, could be seen on a dune not very far from the dome. Obi-Wan decided to meet them on foot. He would most likely seem less intimidating that way. He met them half way up the dune.

The man appeared to be early in his thirties, dark hair, heavily built but definitely not fat, a round face slightly weather bitten by sun and wind. The women was slightly smaller, blond and with a friendly, open expression in her face.

"Who are you and what do you want?" The man's voice was deep, not overly friendly. Most likely an environment like this didn't call for immediate friendship to strangers. One couldn't really expect anyone passing by this last outpost in the middle of nowhere to have good intentions.

Obi-Wan drew his breath silently. This was the moment of truth.

"I reckon you may be Owen Lars?" He bowed slightly to the couple. The child within his robe still blessedly calm after being lulled to sleep by the eopie's movements.

"Who are you?" the man before him repeated.

Stalemate. Obi-Wan didn't really want to give himself away in case this weren't the Lars' couple. The man appeared to be a stubborn one, not willing to be the first to present himself. The silence lasted uncomfortably long.

The woman finally broke the silence.

"I am Beru Lars, and this is my husband, Owen," she informed, "please tell us who you are and what you want from us?"

"I am…was…a friend of Anakin Skywalker's." At least he could say that without giving too much away.

"Anakin?!" Beru gasped. "You know Anakin? Why isn't he with you? Has anything happened to him? Something is awfully wrong, I can feel it."

"I'm sorry I have to tell you that Anakin is dead." Obi-Wan said. "He died a week ago."

The woman drew her breath quickly, clearly shocked by the news. The man's face gave nothing away. If possible it became even more stony than it had been.

"Who are you, and why have you come? I'm quite sure you didn't come all the way from Coruscant or wherever Anakin died just to tell us this." Owen asked for the third time, clearly expecting an answer.

"I am…Ben Kenobi. And I have come to inform you about Anakin's death, but most of all to kindly ask you if you'd be willing to take care of Anakin's son."

"Kenobi?!" Owen exclaimed, "I know about one Kenobi in Anakin's life and that was this star forsaken bastard of a master that raised him and made sure that his family's life became a hell. But his name was definitely _not_ Ben. For the last time - tell me - are you Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"I am," Obi-Wan answered calmly, and bowed again, "or rather _was_. In some sense Obi-Wan Kenobi died at the same time as Anakin did. He'd better stay dead for all the galaxy to see." To his own surprise his voice came out with only a slight trembling.

"Owen, calm down," Beru interjected,"let Ob…Ben tell was he has to say, and what is this about Anakin's son? Master Kenobi, wouldn't you please come inside and share evening meal with us while you're telling us what's going on here. I'm sure you have a good reason for coming this far. You can let your eopie stay in the courtyard. It should be safe there."

Obi-Wan bowed gratefully to Beru. In that moment Luke decided to have a word in the matter as well. A quiet whimper came from within Obi-Wan's robe. Beru startled by the sound, and even Owen's furious face expression softened a bit.

"Thank you. I would be glad to. But first I have to present Luke Skywalker to you." Obi-Wan pulled his robe aside, revealing the now wide awake infant resting in his arm. "His mother, Anakin's wife, died in labor when he was born 5 days ago."

"Oh!" Beru gasped. Instinctively bringing her hand up covering her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. "He's…why…You have travelled so far with him. You must have. Is he well?"

"He is. But it would be good if at least he could come indoors. The desert is no place for a child at night."

"Can I hold him? Please? I'm sure your arm must be cramped by now if you've held him that way all the way out here."

Obi-Wan breathed out, handing the child carefully over to the young woman in front of him. His arms suddenly felt very _empty._ He quickly swallowed a lump that threatened to grow in his throat. _Force, I didn't realize it would be so hard to give him away even though that was the plan all the time. Let him go, Kenobi, you know the code. No attachments, he admonished himself._

The fury in Owen Lars' face had lessened a bit, and softened even more when he saw his wife with the baby in her arms. "Come in," he addressed Obi-Wan curtly, "there are obviously things that have to be said, but after that you must leave."

Obi-Wan nodded and quietly followed suit down the stairs to the living quarters of the homestead.


	3. Family Ties

The Lars' homestead was built quite similar to the building custom's of the area. The dome formed the entrance, protecting towards the frequently appearing sand storms that swept over the desert when the wind called the stukapawa blew over the Great Chott salt flats before hitting the Pawataka Mountain Ridges in the west and creating powerful whirlwinds when ricocheting from the mountain walls back over the salt flats. From the dome one went two half story long stairs down until one came to the living quarters. The main room appeared to be a spacious combined kitchen and living room. Corridors stretched from this room to what supposedly were sleeping rooms and working areas.

The underground kitchen felt wonderfully cool after the long afternoon in the blazing sunshine.

"Please, take a seat" Beru gesticulated one handedly towards a bench placed by what presumably was the outer wall of the room. "I just…it seems like this little one needs to have his diapers changed. He's all wet. Do you…did you bring any with you? I don't…we…well we haven't any children on our own so…"

Obi-Wan silently got up again and went outside to get the boy's meager belongings from the saddlebag on the eopie. He handed the small parcel to Beru who immediately disappeared into a corridor with Luke. The boy was surprisingly quiet.

He returned to his seat and sat down again. Owen had placed himself on a chair by the end of the large kitchen table. The hostile feelings emanating from the other man were almost physically palpable, but not a word was uttered. Obi-Wan waited patiently for the other man to break the silence, rather stunned about the hostility. He could not fathom what the cause for these feelings could be. After all he'd never met the man before in his entire life. Blast it, he'd never even met Shmi, and even though his relationship with Anakin had been slightly strained before Geonosis, partly due to Anakin being struggling hormones and adolescence he couldn't figure out how Anakin even would have been able to ingrain such an amount of hard feelings in his stepbrother. It had to be something else.

_The solution will present itself in due time. He could almost hear his old master admonishing him. He won't let me wait for long, that's for certain. He will tell me eventually, and I have a feeling it will happen sooner than later. He's simply aching to get me out of here._

The silence persisted.

Beru came back, with a much more happy looking child in her arms. Small fists were waving in the air, but still no crying from the child. He seemed to stoically await his destiny.

"He must be hungry. What have you given him to eat?" Beru's voice broke the silence at last.

"White milk. I was told that such small ones could eat that, and besides, there wasn't much else to find in the transport ship we came in. But he does seem to like it, and he hasn't become ill from it."

Beru nodded and dived into a cooling unit. A bottle of white milk appeared. She immediately started to heat the milk on the oven.

"Owen, dear, please find a tube he can drink from - a clean one."

Owen left the room obediently. Whatever was plaguing the man, he seemed to love his wife. Hopefully he would love the child too. Beru was obviously smitten by the little boy's charm already. She turned to Obi-Wan.

"Did you two talk while I was away?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, he didn't say a word. Nor did I, for that matter."

Beru sighed: "He'll have to tell you himself, he just need to overcome the shock. He's a good man."

Obi-Wan nodded.

Owen came back and handed a small tube over to his wife, then he sat down again.

Obi-Wan drew his breath.

"I'm sorry for coming here disturbing you. I have no other intentions than asking if you possibly could take care of little Luke. He's truly Anakin's son and as I said, his mother died in labor so he doesn't really have any family left. Could you please take him, and care for him? He's a good little one."

"What about his mother's family," Owen interrupted, "can't they take him? I assume the mother is that woman, Padmé, who followed Anakin here the last time he came. Well, the only time he came to be precise. She seemed to be of good family. Why do you want the boy to be raised here in this star forsaken no man's land? Wouldn't he have a better life there, wherever 'there' may be?"

"He wouldn't be safe," Obi-Wan explained. "He may be force sensitive and if so, this is the safest place for him to be in the entire galaxy right now, simply because it's so desolate. They won't look for him here. At least I hope so."

"Force sensitive!?" Owen exploded. "I knew it could be blamed on that blasted Force of yours. Why in all the blazes don't you just lock him up in that Jedi Temple of yours with all the other children you Jedi scum steal from their birth families leaving them to grieve the rest of their lives for their lost children. Why didn't you just take him without letting us know?"

Owen stood up abruptly and stomped out, not even noticing that his chair tilted and fell over as he got up.

"Owen," Beru exclaimed, but the door was already shut behind her husband's broad back.

"Now, that went _really_ well," Obi-Wan muttered sarcastically between his clenched teeth.

"I'm so sorry for disturbing you so much," he continued, looking up at Beru.

"It is I that have to apologize. Owen is usually very levelheaded and he never behave like this, but he does resent the Jedi for taking children from their families," Beru explained. "He will probably tell you why when he's calmed down."

Obi-Wan merely nodded, restraining himself from commenting on the 'taking children' part of the explanation.

"Can you hold him while I make the meal ready?" Beru handed Luke over reluctantly.

Somehow it felt good, familiar, to have the little bundle back in his arms again, and Obi-Wan sighed contently. He would really miss the little guy despite knowing that he could never have taken the child with him. Weird really, one week back in time he'd not even known him. The Temple had still been home and Anakin had still been…well…Anakin. Now everything was lost to him, and soon Luke would be too.

_Don't brood. The future will take care of itself. His master's voice rang loud and clear in his mind. He could almost hear the deep, soothing baritone from years ago._

He sat up with a jerk. He'd actually almost fallen asleep for a moment. He realized that the last days' events had really taken it's toll on him. Beru put down a bowl of steaming soup in front of him. Some kind of soft flatbread followed.

"Eat!" she said. "I'm sure Owen will be back soon."

She took a bowl of soup for her self and sat down, holding her hands out for the child.

"I can take him now."

Obi-Wan regretfully let go of the child in the same moment they heard the sound of boots coming down the stairs. Owen took a bowl for himself and sat down at his former place by the table. After a couple of spoonfuls he looked up.

"I apologize for leaving that way," he said. "I was rude towards a guest. That is not something I'm proud of even though the guest happens to be a jedi."

"I do understand that you resent the Jedi," Obi-Wan commented quietly, "it is your right to do so, but I'm curious why?"

The other man emptied his bowl and filled it half full again.

"It's a long story, actually. I was 13 years old when Shmi Skywalker came into my life. My mother died when I was three and after that it was only my father and me living here. We had a good life together and he took me with him whenever he could. I can never remember I really missed my mother. I was so young when she died that I could hardly remember her at all. The year I turned twelve I noticed a change in my father. It started after a trip he'd had to Mos Espa to buy some spare parts for the vaporators which he couldn't find in Anchorhead. After that he became very eager to go in to Mos Espa for some reason. Later I learned that he'd met Shmi in a junk shop there and fallen head over heels in love with her.

I didn't realize at first. I just noticed that he was more away, and even when at home he would sometimes become more thoughtful and distant than I'd been used to. I started to worry. He must have noticed because a couple of weeks later he sat down with me an evening and had a real man-to-man talk with me and told me about this wonderful warm, kind and beautiful woman he'd met. And he asked me if I would mind that he brought her home with him and married her.

I was stunned. At first I wanted to say 'no' but of course I didn't. In my eyes our life was perfect, but I was old enough to understand that my father probably needed more from life. I accepted. It was then he told me she was a slave and he had to save money to be able to buy her free, before she could come here. And actually he hadn't dared to propose to her either. She was a beautiful woman and he couldn't really understand what she would see in an old moisture farmer like him. After that it became my task to actually encourage him.

One year later we had enough money and he went to Mos Espa to propose to her, and hopefully set her free. At that point, I believe I was almost as nervous as he. Would she say yes? Was she really so kind, or had he seen her through eyes of love? They came back together. They had already married in Mos Espa and she was free.

From that day on life never became the same again. In the beginning she treated me friendly, but a bit reserved. I was kind of shy too. After all I'd never had a woman in my life before. But as the weeks went by we gradually grew closer and in the evenings she could occasionally go for a walk in the courtyard and look up at the stars. When she came in again, there were always traces of tears in her eyes. Three months after her moving in with us I asked her if I could call her 'mom'. It somehow felt more natural than continuing addressing her as Shmi.

I had hoped she'd say yes, and she did. What I didn't expect was the flow of tears that came the first time I used the word. That's when she told me about Anakin. She told me about the son she'd had for 9 wonderful years and who'd been taken away from her by the Jedi. She never said a bad word about them, and she was clear in saying it had been out of his best interest and that he'd been given the choice to leave. But I knew better. What do a nine year old know about leaving his mother for an exiting adventure? Nothing.

At that time I had lived most of my life without a mother and I suddenly got one. I knew what it was like to have a mother in my life, and I knew Anakin had to know that too. He'd been old enough to know by the time he was taken away.

Shmi became my mother in everything but birth and I loved her like I never got the chance of loving my own mother. I know she loved me back. Not as much as she loved Anakin, but enough to really make me feel lucky. From time to time I could see the sadness in her eyes. It paled through the years, but it never disappeared. I guess I should have felt envious or even jealous, but I didn't. She had love enough for both of us, and after all I was the lucky one who got to live with her for ten years."

Owen ended his story, and the room was quiet once more.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said quietly. "Anakin never stopped missing her. Maybe my Master never should have taken him away from her, but at that time it seemed to be the best for both Anakin and the Jedi. And if it was best for Anakin, he also thought it would be the best for Shmi."

"Which brings me back to the other matter," Owen continued. "Why are you bringing Luke here? If he is, what was it, force sensitive, why don't you take him to the oh so mighty Temple of yours instead, or even to his mother's family?"

Obi-Wan swallowed hard. The lump in his throat was rising again and threatened to strangle him.

"There is no Temple anymore. It was destroyed. So were the Jedi. For all I know I may be the sole survivor by now. The clone army turned against us and killed everyone. I fear that they will try to hunt down and kill every force sensitive child they can get hold of. That must not happen to Luke. I owe his father to keep him safe. And here, with you, seem to be the safest place he can be. His mother's family is too easily found. Nobody but myself and a good friend knows about his birth, but with his mother's family he would be too…visible." Somehow Obi-Wan managed to keep his best jedi calm during this summary of the last week's disaster.

Beru wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"How can all the Jedi have been killed? I thought they were invincible."

Obi-Wan almost had to smile over the naïveté in the question.

"Invincible? Hardly. We were all living beings as everyone else. We just had the Force in addition. We were widespread as a result of the war and when the clones got the command and turned we were too few. The republic have been dissolved and we're left with an Empire. An Empire with a despotic Emperor, that is. That's why I don't want it to be known that Obi-Wan Kenobi is still alive. I was supposedly killed on Utapau and I'd better stay that way. Fortunately Kenobi is a common name, so from now on I will be simply Ben."

Beru and Owen exchanged glances. Then Owen spoke again: "I see. We will take the child as our own. We have never been lucky enough to have a child, so he will be ours from this day on. We will claim that he's the child of a distant relative of Beru. We will take good care of him. You, however, can stay overnight. Then you must leave. If what you said is the truth, you must never come back here. It will be too dangerous for him, and us. We're peaceful moisture farmers, and that's how it's going to stay."

Obi-Wan nodded, solemnly accepting the truth in the other man's words.

"I will not come back here," he promised, "not unless I _really_ have to. I will leave in the morning." He swallowed. The lump was back. Again. "Can I say goodbye to him now? He's been a great companion for the last few days."

The couple nodded and Obi-Wan carried the half asleep child outdoors. The chill of the desert night had long ago taken over for the heat of the day and he shuddered.

"Goodbye, my little friend," he whispered softly, "I will leave you here. You've been a great, tiny friend on this journey, and I will truly miss you. I'd hoped I could stay nearby and watch over you, but instead I have to do so from a distance. If you ever need me I will be there in a wink. And we _will_ meet again. Someday. I know it. Goodbye little Luke. Your aunt and uncle will take good care of you. Now that I've met them I'm sure of that. I just wish you could have known your real parents as they were…"

He was rewarded with a sleepy yawn from the infant. A tiny fist opened and grabbed his digit finger in a firm grip, as if to say "Don't leave me, uncle Ben."


	4. Voices from the Sand

Obi-Wan left the homestead the following day shortly after sunrise. Owen had already left to take care of a vaporator which had begun to send error messages to the surveillance system. Beru was still there, following him out in the courtyard.

"I'm sorry that you can't stay longer," she said.

"So am I," Obi-Wan answered, "but Owen is right. These are dangerous times and if I were to stay I might bring danger upon you all. If anyone get the idea that I'm still alive I'm sure the Emperor would send troops to hunt me down. I will stay on planet for a while at least, but I will be out of sight for all of you. If something should happen, I will help if I can."

Beru swallowed, clearly uncomfortable by the thought of "something happening".

"But you cannot go out there empty handed, jedi or not, you will need provisions. And water. The Wastes is a dangerous place, not only because of the sarlaccs, the krayt dragons or even the sand people. It is dangerous in it's own right due to heat an cold and lack of water, and sudden sandstorms forming because of the mountains. I will give you some to start with. You can bring some flour and dried meat for a start. That is easy for your eopie to carry. If you dig into the sand, groundwater can be found some places, especially near the mountains. This drinking straw will purify the water and make it possible to drink."

Beru had clearly planned this through the night because the provisions were neatly piled up inside the dome on top of the stairs.

Obi-Wan dipped his head thankfully: "I'm most grateful for this. Thank you."

Beru continued: "There's a small settlement near the foot of the mountains, about 5 klicks away from the mountain ridge. There is a small shop there, they sell almost everything. The settlement is called "Dannar's Claim". You can re-supply there."

Obi-Wan nodded again.

"You've been most helpful. May I return the favor by giving you some credits, for the upbringing of the child?"

A glimpse of a smile flashed over his face.

"Don't worry, it's not my own fundings. A jedi owns nothing except his clothes and lightsaber. I'm used to traveling light. I got them from a friend, to help ease the journey and keep the child comfortable. It's only fair that you get your fair share of it. I won't need much. And I don't take no for an answer."

Beru reluctantly accepted the credits. "You would need them out there to have something to start with, keep at least a third for yourself."

The provisions were safely tucked away on the eopie's back and Obi-Wan entered the animal's saddle and set out for the distant mountains.

…..

Another day in the grueling heat from the twin suns. Another day with the vaste desert stretching out in front of him. And the first day of true loneliness. The baby had at least been another living being, and it had been a link to his past. A past that in one terrible evening had been changed into an even more terrible now. He had felt lonely before. He'd felt lonely in the spice mines of Kadavo. He'd most certain felt lonely when he was imprisoned in Ventress' castle at Rattatak. But at that time he'd had a home. There had been friends, colleagues and family, at least from a certain point of view.

He'd never felt _this_ lonely before. The Temple had been transformed to a heap of stones. His family, his colleagues, his fellow jedi lay dead, either in the inner of the destroyed temple or scattered throughout the galaxy.

Nobody left. Unless Yoda and himself, and the Grand Master was hopefully safe half a galaxy away. A single tear trickled down his cheek. Soon to be followed by more.

But before he could totally give in to the grief and loneliness he was startled by a cry. It seemed to come from his left hand side. No words could be distinguished but from the sound of it someone was in terrible distress. Obi-Wan wiped the tears from his face and turned the eopie to the left to see what was going on.

Nothing. More of nothing. The sand appearing in front of him was just as empty as it had been before he turned left. Some sloping dunes could be seen but not a living being as far has he could see in either direction. The screams intensified. The single cry he had heard at first had multiplied into several voices, words still indistinguishable but definitely screams of pain and sorrow. From…well…nowhere.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. It _had_ to come from somewhere. He cleared his mind and stretched out for the rolling waves of the Force. If it wanted him to find what was happening, it would show him the way. It always did. Without any conscious thought he steered the eopie between two rather large dunes. He dismounted the animal to take a closer look on the ground.

Still nothing. No, wait, half buried in the sand in front of him he could see a huge rib. He knelt down beside it. Dug into the sand. One more. A small circle of stones, most likely a campfire. The screams intensified.

_Pain. Terrible pain. Loneliness. No hope left and still…an eternal wish. I want to see my son one last time… Then release - no pain anymore. Just peace. A single cry in the night. Flickering shadows in the light of the campfires. A blue ray of light moving through the shadows. The darkness is increasing despite the flames. More screams. "Kterskt! Kterskt" Voices screaming warnings from all sides. Two men dead in the sand. The blue flame strikes again. Women are screaming, children wailing…terror…fear…despair. Flames everywhere, the huts are on fire, flames rising high towards the night. The blue is whirling and dancing a devilish dance, leaving dead bodies in it's wake. The darkness increases. Darker than the night. Darker than the deepest mines in the outer rim. Darker than anything he's seen before. Bodies are falling for the blue lightening as crop falls for the sickles. The screams are forming a crescendo in the night, before stillness takes over. The last voice heard is a young woman's, she's lying on the ground her arm stretching out for a small bundle: "Uli-ah…uli-ah." The lightening flickers one last time, and everything is quiet. Deadly quiet. The blue flame disappears. The darkness is complete._

"No, no…Anakin, don't, please don't…". Obi-Wan found himself laying in the sand. The darkness had disappeared and the suns shone mercilessly down on his back. The screams from before had been replaced by heavy sobs. His own.

He felt a gentle nudge in his shoulder. No, he didn't want to move. Couldn't. The atrocities he'd seen had left him limp and unable to move. Another nudge, still friendly but more determined now.

"Eeeeemph!"

He looked up and saw straight into the eopie's friendly eyes. "Hey, pal. Get up from the ground. You can't stay there all day," that look said. A last friendly nudge, and Obi-Wan finally got up on his knees. The world was spinning slightly. He didn't have a clue of how long he'd been lying on the ground. He drew a deep calming breath.

_Center, Obi-Wan. Center. Find your calm center. You've seen worse than this before. Oh, I have, but still nothing like this. Anakin. Anakin did this. I realized he changed after Geonosis, but I couldn't figure out why. I thought it was his mother's death and his relationship with_ _Padm_ _é_ _which affected him so deeply, and it was. It truly was. But this… I never imagined he could do something like this. He killed them all, with cold blood. The darkness was so total, so all consuming. How could he do something like this? Haven't I trained him better than this? Could it have been in him from his childhood, or force forbid, was this…anger…something I ingrained in him without knowing? I_ _may have taught him anger, even if it were unintentional, but pure hate? Never. And, still, what I felt there for a moment was pure hate._ _No wonder he was so easily snared in by the Sith Lord._

As the force flowed around him and through him in cool calming waves he could feel the tears dry and his heartbeat slowed down to his normal pace again. He'd always been prone to the unifying force rather than the unifying force, and visions were not unfamiliar to him, but this one was more harrowing and somehow more real than any other vision he'd ever had.

Probably because it actually was real, from a certain point of view. Or, it had been. He realized that he'd gotten a glimpse into his former padawan's past. A glimpse he'd given anything to _not_ have seen. But he had. And he had to live with the knowledge of his friend's cruelties.

Slowly he rose and mounted the eopie again.

"Come on, my furry friend. Let's continue towards the mountains," he said quietly to the animal.

A stray thought, as if spoken with a well known deep baritone voice flew through his mind.

_Good, my padawan, good. Let your focus determine your reality. Focus on the here and now._


	5. The First Day in the Desert

The here and now was clearly overestimated, Obi-Wan concluded. The suns were once again on their way down and he realized that he would never reach the mountains before the night, far less find a suitable camp there so he decided to continue as long as there was daylight and then stay overnight in the desert. Not that he had much of a choice anyway.

The experiences from the destroyed tusken camp had made him more than a bit shaky and he felt the need for meditating on what had happened. Anakin had changed after Geonosis, but at that time he'd supposed that it was just the aftermath after nearly being killed in the arena, plus the growing feelings for Padmé. It hadn't lasted long. With the outbreak of the war Anakin had to grow up rather quickly and the tendency he'd shown over the last years to oppose his master in small and great questions soon vanished, and a more mature Anakin emerged. It had surely been a blessing. The small skirmishes had taken it's toll on Obi-Wan as well.

Their master-padawan relationship had been strained from the start, as Anakin had been insecure in his new role as a padawan and also struggled with the quite rigid temple life. Missing Qui-Gon hadn't really helped. It was clear from the first day that the boy had wanted the older jedi to be his mentor but Qui-Gon's sudden death put a very abrupt end to that wish.

Obi-Wan had felt insecure too. From being a padawan one day, he suddenly became a knight and also a master the next. While mourning his own dead master he was supposed to take care of a child, and it wasn't even a regular initiate being promoted to padawan by his own choice. The choice had been taken from him the moment Qui-Gon asked him to train the boy. How could he have denied his master that last wish? He simply couldn't. Moreover, the boy was supposed to be the "Chosen One" from the old prophecy… It truly was a rough start.

As the months passed they had gone from a forced relationship to more neutral terms, and then proceeded to something that resembled brothers. And finally they learned to appreciate each other. Anakin learned to trust his master and came to terms with his master's more rigid and rule obeying personality. Obi-Wan learned to love the kind hearted and more impulsive boy that had come to be his apprentice.

So, after all, he'd considered the boy's periodically bad temper a normal teenage rebellion, since Anakin never quite learned the strict discipline that normal initiates were taught from very young age in the creche.

…..

The shadows gradually became longer as the suns threatened to sink below the dunes, and Obi-Wan decided to settle down before it was totally dark. Spending the night in the desert didn't worry him the least. Over the years he'd slept under far worse conditions. Still he hoped that nobody, and in particular the sand people, would find him. He knew enough about them to find it likely that if some should discover him, they would also attack and after reliving Anakin's attack on the tusken camp he really wouldn't like to have to defend himself against them.

He managed to find a sheltered place between two adjacent sand dunes and concluded that this place was as good as any. He removed the saddle and the bags from the eopie hoping that the animal wouldn't wander off in the middle of the night in search for food. It didn't seem to be among it's most immediate plans, as it lay down in the sand as soon as the packing was taken off.

"Good girl," he muttered, "stay here please. I really wouldn't like to go searching for you in the morning."

The bag Beru had given him revealed several small treasures, water being the most important treat. The dried meat she'd promised was there as well and some firecubes and a blanket too. He took one of the cubes and lit as small fire. It would provide some warmth, but even more important - it would keep stray predators on a distance. At least he hoped so, assuming that no bipedal predators would be near enough to be attracted by it.

After a sparse evening meal consisting of some dried meat, one protein cube and some water he wrapped the blanket around himself and fell asleep with the eopie's saddle serving as a pillow, a not very well perfumed one to be honest. Exhaustion from the last weeks harrowing experiences took over and In the last seconds before drifting into sleep he almost believed he saw a soft shimmer of something and a familiar voice uttering the familiar words: "Sleep well, my padawan."

The morning came. Obi-Wan woke just before sunrise. His body felt more sore and stiff than it had in a very long time and his mind likewise. He knew that the last weeks events would sooner or later catch up with him, and even the presumed jedi stoicism wouldn't hold if or when the dam broke. He knew as a jedi he should release the pain, the guilt, the sorrow, into the force. _Should_ being the major word here.

He knew he couldn't. Not this time. Not over this. There would come a reaction eventually. The adolescent Anakin had so often blamed him to be without any human feelings. Not true. The feelings had been there, always, though the excess feelings had been released into the force as any good jedi would do.

This time it wasn't a matter of excess. It was simply a matter of humanity.

_Even jedi are human beings, well maybe not human, but at least sentient beings. We breathe, we love, we mourn as everyone else. We just…don't let it overpower us. But this time… There are no jedi anymore, no code, no rules. There is nothing left. Everything, everyone is gone. How can I even live with this? I saw his eyes there at Mustafar. They were yellow, almost red like the lava surrounding us. It was pure, flaming hate. The fire I saw there was simply…inhuman. Whatever I saw there had consumed the kind, loving boy he used to be. The holos from the Temple proved it. The blood from the younglings proved it._

Obi-Wan drew a deep breath.

_I can't go down that path. Not now. If I give in to my true feelings I will go ravingly insane. This is not the time or place to do so. I must wait._

Another calming breath. Some light stretching exercises. He could feel the soothing waves of the force, once more surrounding him, flowing through him. Calming him. For the moment. He knew fully well that it wouldn't last, but it had to be enough for the moment.

He quickly packed his things and soon he was on his way towards the Pawataka Mountains again.

The day passed without any events. Every now and then he could se a small animal, some kind of a desert rodent he supposed, flee in panic when the eopie moved forwards. Else there was nothing to be seen. As evening drew closer he was sure that he would reach the mountain ridge before sunset. To the north he could see buildings, they appeared hardly bigger than pebbles from this distance. It had to be the settlement Beru had mentioned. He turned slightly south leaving as much distance between himself and the buildings as possible. He knew he would have to go there, eventually. His provisions wouldn't last forever. That would have to come later.

The mountains seemed both more impressive and more alive than they'd done from a distance. They formed a slight curve towards south-east, as if they were to embrace the vast areas of the Jundland Wastes. From the golden sands of the desert the landscape was sloping gradually into some kind of reddish stone, probably sandstone or siltstone, he guessed. The slope increased into a more dramatic looking belt of large boulders that some ancient god seemed to have tossed deliberately around before ending in a geological mixture of said sandstone gradually giving way to large spears of basalt and olivine once thrown up from the planet's core.

It certainly was a dramatic, but still somehow beautiful landscape.

As he moved closer to the sandstone area he noticed that the complete emptiness of the desert gradually was giving in to an admittedly sparsely distributed vegetation. Still, there were some bushes of a species unbeknownst to him and there even were some pale green, well…greenish, straws appearing here and there.

_Good. If there's vegetation, there has to be water somewhere. I just hope it's enough for survival, preferably mine - and the eopie's. It would not be much of a hiding place if the first thing I have to do is building a vaporator._

As he'd done the night before he decided to settle down before the night fell. After some reconnaissance he decided to make his camp between a collection of large boulders and a cliff wall. With some luck the boulders would make it possible for him to lit a campfire which could not be seen from the settlement and there was actually enough vegetation there to make an admittedly sparse evening meal for the eopie.

"Seems like it's going to be you and me for a very long time, girl. I have to give you a name. I really can't go on calling you 'girl' like that," he murmured while he removed the saddle from the animal's back.

"Eeeemph," the eopie answered politely.

"OK, blame yourself. I take that as a presentation. Emphie it is. You just have to deal with it."

The eopie looked at him with large black eyes. Long eyelashes blinked slowly. Somehow it seemed quite content about being considered a part of the family.

Once again the night fell over the desert and it's inhabitants. A man and his eopie fell asleep.


	6. A New Home

Obi-Wan had never been a natural early bird, but he woke at sunrise. Something was amiss, or rater missing. He sat up and realized he was all alone, well - more alone than the preceding days. The eopie was gone.

"Blast it," he cursed silently, "why here, when she stayed put out in the dunes?"

One thing was for sure, he couldn't carry the saddle and the provision on his own back so either he had to settle down right where he was, or he had to find Emphie. He chose to go for the latter. The bags were quickly hidden beneath a boulder. The hiding wouldn't stand a close check from a bypassing tusken, but hopefully they weren't nearby. To improve the hiding he showeled some sand over the packing and climbed on top of one of the rocks to get an overview.

The desert was just as empty as it had been the day before. Literally no trace of the animal was to be seen. Well, then. It might as well have moved further into the mountains. He'd better try the passage between the boulders. The ground was rather firm beneath his boots. The loose sand had been replaced by solid rock most places and he could move quite easily between the cliffs. Actually it could have been a path there once, it almost seemed like the track was placed between the rocks on purpose. The sloping hills soon became steeper around him and the passageway narrowed.

"Oh no, not a dead end," he sighed, but then the valley widened before him again and he saw the eopie. The animal was fully occupied with it's breakfast, grazing peacefully between the steep cliffs. It was nothing like the green pastures of Naboo or Alderaaan, but it was grass. Shrubs covered the sides of the valley where the mountains formed cool shadows over the land. Actually it was the most fertile spot of ground he'd seen since he arrived on Tatooine.

He smoothed his beard pensively.

_So much vegetation in one spot has to mean that there is water somewhere nearby. Even here plants cannot grow without any water at all. Beru mentioned ground water. Could it possibly be that there is some underground river or spring? It has to be something here._

"Plop"

He looked up.

"Plop"

The sound was apparently coming from the cliff to his left hand side, somewhere between the scrubs that grew willingly close to the red sandstone. He pushed the scrubs aside and moped. Water? Real water? Here on Tatooine? Impossible. But it was there. A small but steady stream of transparent droplets seemed to trickle from a deep crack in the mountain wall. Probingly he gathered a drop on his finger and tasted it. Definitely water, and it actually tasted good. The droplets gathered in a natural basin in the cliff. Carefully he dipped his hand and drank. Could it somehow be poisonous? Hopefully not. The eopie had probably smelled it and found it's way to what might seem like green pastures for the animal. Most likely it had drunk from the basin before he came there.

Well, he was definitely willing to share. Water was a true treasure in this barren landscape. How come that nobody had discovered it earlier? Or maybe some had…

He had been too focused on the water to notice the surroundings but it actually looked like it was possible to ascend the sandstone somewhat further into the valley. A closer look revealed the truth in this assumption. A narrow path seemed to wind it's way upwards between rough cliffs. He decided to follow it. The path soon changed and something that seemed to be a natural staircase leading to a plateau in the cliff.

Stairs? Were they natural or man made? It was hard to say for sure. They could have been either. He continued. The stairs disappeared behind a rock, then made almost an u-turn and continued further up until a plateau opened before him. The view was magnificent. If the mountain ridge hadn't curved he would possibly have been able to see the settlement. As it was the mountain formed an effective barrier towards prying glances from what he supposed had to be Dannar's Cove.

But what caught his attention even more was what he saw near the mountainside in the rear of the plateau. A cabin. Well, to be honest it was more of a shack but it had four walls admittedly sorely in need for repair, but nonetheless four walls of something that resembled duracrete. And a roof as well. The big question was: who were the inhabitants, or maybe it was more a question of what? Cautiously Obi-Wan clipped the lightsaber from his belt. Better safe than sorry, even though he couldn't really sense any life forms in the near vicinity. Well, nothing except the eopie. He moved slowly toward the shack. From the look of it it's inhabitants had left years ago. The duracrete was weather bitten and cracked. The door was missing if there had ever been one. Fine sand piled up in the entrance. Two narrow slits in the walls probably served as windows.

"Hello, is anybody in there?"

Nothing but silence was to be heard so he cautiously moved closer. No signs of lifeforms, what so ever. Two more steps and he stood outside the doorway. He peeked in. Nothing.

The walls seemed actually solid enough. They were worn and cracked but the cracks didn't seem to penetrate them. Actually the walls seemed thick enough to be a part of a fortress, but most likely they were a fortress towards the heat and the sandstorms rather than intruders.

He ignited his lightsaber.

"I'd better lighten up the situation a bit," he said wryly to himself. The blue ray of light revealed a curved ceiling with a rather intricate pattern of bearing beams under it. It seemed to be a sector of a geodesic dome covering the duracrete outer walls and ending in the rock wall that posed the back of the shack. But wait, something was definitely amiss here. From the outside the shed had seemed to be very modest in size, from the inside it was definitely larger.

"This was unexpected," he muttered, "it's not exactly Jabba the Hut's palace, but it seems to be larger inside than it appeared from outside."

The explanation was easy to find. Whoever had constructed the shed had taken advantage of a cave in the rock wall, so the back wall and most of the two sidewalls were actually formed from the mountain itself. The duracrete was simply a prolonged part of the natural walls. To his right side the cavern deepened, forming a natural niche in the main cave. To his left someone had obviously made a bench. The flat rock forming the upper plate was smooth and almost polished. The main "room" would easily give room for a bench to sit on and a table. It was nearly as big as his and Anakin's apartment in the Temple had been, save for one extra bedroom. Well, he could live without that, it wasn't like he would have to share these housings with a padawan.

Everything seemed totally deserted. Considering the thick dust, well sand, layer on the bench nobody had been inside this place for at least a decade, probably more.

"Well, that saves me the trouble of paying the rent," he murmured, "I do not expect to get the landlord knocking on my door soon."

Which was good, since said door didn't exist.

A brief examination of the interior revealed another surprise. The bench in the part that Obi-Wan already was thinking of as a kitchenette was stretching backwards in the cave and in the innermost part of it he could se the same tiny droplets of water as he'd seen outside trickle down the wall and disappear through a narrow crack in the "bench". Probably the same crack that appeared at the foot of the mountain. The niche on the other side of the cave would be perfect for a sleeping couch, or as per now - a sleeping mat.

_This is really weird. The water must somehow condensate when the mountains cool down at night and then it's collected in some pool or cavity further up in in the mountains, and this is the outlet from that cavity. This would be a perfect place to stay. I can make a couch and a table, and with some luck I can even find something that can serve as a mattress in the local shop in Dannar's Claim. Sooner or later I have to take the risk and go there. The cave and the shed seems solid enough and it's not easily spotted from the ground. There were no footprints to be seen. Obviously people doesn't come this way often. And even if they do, the path is difficult to see. It's a perfect hideout, or will be when I've done some minor repairs and made some furniture and a door. It will help keeping me from the heat of the day when needed be and I will have shelter from the sandstorms. The only threat will be the sand people if they ever come here, or the krayt dragons._

Two hours later he'd returned to his camp from the evening before and carried his belongings up to the cave. The eopie's saddle was hidden on a lower level, tucked away from prying eyes but easy to find when he needed it.

Obi-Wan had found himself a new home.


	7. Dreams

The following days Obi-Wan busied himself by making the hut as comfortable as possible. It didn't take him long to realize that he was better with the lightsaber than with the hammer, especially when he didn't have one. He definitely wasn't a natural born carpenter. Still, he was nothing but persistent and slowly the hut resembled a place meant for living more than a tool shack.

He tried to keep himself busy through the day and aimed for near consciousness of pure exhaustion when he went to sleep in the evenings. He didn't succeed very well. The nights were filled with dreams, and they were not the pleasant kind.

_Screams. Yelling. Persons running. Confusion, a lot of confusion, traces of fear and anguish._

_"They're coming. Why are they gathering in front of the Temple - armed? Close the doors. Close them now."_

_"What is going on? Why are they shooting at us? "_

_Explosions. Flickering lights substituted by darkness. Blue and green lightsabers ignited towards the intruders. "Keep the defense line. Get the initiates away from the fighting!" Blaster bolts fired and ricocheted from 'sabers flying high in the air. A dance of death in blue, green and red sparkling light. More running. More screams._

_But first and foremost, in front of the clone troopers as so many times before, leading them in battle: Anakin. Anakin swinging a deadly blue arc of light with an efficiency learned through battles and countless hours in the dojo, spreading death in it's wake. This time his fellow jedi were his victims._

Obi-Wan woke, his cheeks wet from tears. He had seen the evidence in the security recordings in the Temple. He knew he should do as any good jedi - let the feelings flow through him and release them into the Force, but he couldn't.

"Breathe Obi-Wan, don't cling to the emotions. Let them pass." The familiar comforting voice seemed to come from out of thin air. He took a rasping breath and opened his senses to feel if anyone actually had come in while he was sleeping. The room was just as empty as it had been four hours ago, when he went to sleep.

The tears kept on coming.

_I'm sorry, master, I'm so sorry. I failed you. I never should have taken upon me to train him. I was too young, too inexperienced._

There had been so many times in the past where he'd pondered the same thing. Was he to young when he became a Master? Shouldn't a true Master have more life experience? The thoughts were there from the moment he promised Anakin to take him as his padawan learner, and over the years they increased in intensity even though they were less often coming to the surface. Still he kept them at bay, until Geonosis. After Geonosis it had become a different matter. If he had worried about his abilities before, his worries multiplied after that. If he hadn't followed Jango Fett to Kamino, if he hadn't accepted the mission to Geonosis, maybe the Galaxy would have been different now? If he hadn't been so incredibly stupid, no _imbecile_ , to get caught there, there had been no need for the Jedi to come rescue him. Death could have been avoided for so many of his friends and fellow jedi. Maybe…even the clone wars would never have begun? Well, he would never know. Nor would the galaxy. But Anakin had been his responsibility from the day Qui-Gon Jinn died. His responsibility, and as it turned out, his failure.

"You did well, my padawan. Under the circumstances." The voice could be heard again

"You didn't fail. You did the best you could. Anakin had his free will - and he used it." The Voice continued. "You taught him. You became his friend. You showed him the path to knighthood. He was the one who chose to change the path that was laid before him. Not you."

"Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan whispered. "Master?"

A low chuckle sounded in his ears.

_"Yes, my oh so former padawan, it's me."_ The voice was filled with the calm humor that was so typical for Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan swallowed hard. He knew he had problems with releasing all the feelings, but he really didn't think that he was in such bad state. Hallucinating didn't become a jedi, and the fact that he heard his former master speaking to him must mean that he was delusional.

"No. It's not possible. Get out of my head."

"You must accept this, Obi-Wan. It really is me."

Obi-Wan frowned. "No. It cannot be. I saw you die on Naboo. You died in my arms. There is _no way_ you actually can be here."

_"I have been with you always, Obi-Wan, you just cannot see me."_

The room turned silent once more.

_I must be dreaming. There's simply no way that I heard Qui-Gon's voice. He's been gone for almost 13 years now. It cannot be. Still, it would have been good if it really were him._

Obi-Wan took some deep calming breaths, trying to find his calm center which had been sorely missed the last weeks. "I'm a jedi master. I should do better than this and not behave like a scared crecheling," he silently admonished himself. Sleep didn't come easily, but after tossing and turning for a while he drifted into a disturbed sleep once more.

_Darkness again. A wheezing sound, almost like a rebreather. Cold, so cold… Burning, but still cold. It's so hard to breathe, like the lungs doesn't work any more. An emptiness more all consuming than the Tatooinian desert. Alone, oh so alone, everyone gone but him. A chuckle from a being not seen: "Good, good, you are my finest creation until now." Everything is heavy and yet not. Where once there were soft skin and flexible muscles, there is now cold hard metal and plastoid. The darkness is replaced by light. A cold, sterile light. The walls seem slightly distorted an out of focus for a while. The wheezing sound intensifies. Something black is moving, or rather trying to move. A.. something. Whatever it is, it's tall, impressing - created to instill fear. It is not a droid, because there is a soul there. A dark and twisted soul, admittedly, but a soul nonetheless. Not a man, not a machine, still both exists and converge into this dark creature._

Obi-Wan startled and woke. "What in all the blazes was that?" he muttered. This time sleep wouldn't find him again.

Another day filled with work. Another evening waiting for the night to come and the nightmares with it. He was about to go to bed when he heard the soundless voice again: "You are troubled, my friend. You need to find your inner strength again. Seemingly it has left you, and it's still needed."

"Who are you? What are you? You have my master's voice, but there is no chance you can be him. Why are you here? What do you want from me?" Obi-Wan spoke almost breathlessly.

"You still don't believe that I'm me, do you? You were the most stubborn of my padawans, but you always saw the truth when you'd had time to think things over. I should have thought you had reached that point now." The well known baritone sounded in the empty room, apparently from nowhere, and sounding more than a little amused.

"I must be delusional," Obi-Wan muttered. "Dead people don't pop up from nowhere years after their death. I must have got a sunstroke earlier today."

The low chuckle was there again. The same sound his master had made when presenting an especially intriguing riddle to him during his days as padawan.

"Why should I believe that you are the man you're claiming to be? I saw him die and I lit the pyre when his body returned to the Force. People, be it jedi or not, tends to stay dead."Obi-Wan retorted dryly. "Why should you be an exception?"

"Maybe because I always were even more stubborn than you, and even back then there were truths I found hard to accept. Didn't Master Yoda tell you that I would have lectures for you here?"

Obi-Wan swallowed. He remembered Yoda's words about the training his master would have for him, but at that time he hadn't contemplated upon it. There had been more pressing things to concentrate on and take care of. Little Luke as to start with. The present riddle was how this stranger, well, actually no-stranger could know it. It had been only Yoda and himself in the room when the words were spoken.

"You keep saying you are Master Qui-Gon, but do you really expect me to accept that?"

"It would be a good start, my dear apprentice," the voice answered dryly. "It will be hard to teach you anything if you keep insisting on denying my existence."

"Show yourself. Maybe it will be easer to believe you if I don't have to talk to thin air?" Obi-Wan suggested.

"Very well." the air itself seemed to breathe. A bluish flicker of light appeared in the middle of the small room. The light spread out into a column of pale light slowly taking the shape of a human form. Then the light changed and colors were slowly appearing. Tall stature, a dark brown robe over a sand colored tunic and brown leggings. Long hair neatly tied back to keep it from the appearance's eyes. A bearded chin, high cheekbones and friendly but sharp eyes, sparkling with mirth.

The figure bowed sardonically.

"Your wish has been granted, my friend. Do you believe me now?"

Obi-Wan felt like he had been punched in the gut with a battering ram. His breath left him with a wheezing sound, the room was spinning more efficiently than one of Anakin's rolls with the speeder and he felt slightly dizzy. He could feel cold sweat breaking out from his forehead.

"But…but… Master… You are dead, I mean…were…are…" He realized that his ability of precise articulation had deteriorated severely through the last couple of minutes, so he gave up. He just gazed incredulously at the appearance.

Silence ruled for something which felt like an eternity.

"Well," the apparition retorted, "are you willing to consider that I am me now? You _can_ see me now, I believe."

"Yes, but…how… I mean, you passed into the force, didn't you?" He clearly wasn't more able to speak coherent sentences than he had been for the last 10 minutes or so.

"I think you should sit down, Obi-Wan. You do look a bit pale." The bluish figure was clearly enjoying the moment.

Obi-Wan sat.

"We will come back to the "how" later. Right now you must try to accept that I'm really here, from a certain point of view." Qui-Gon spoke in the same tone as he had used years ago when starting to instruct a new kata, or a principle of negotiations. "I may not be here in a physical sense, but I do exist in the force and I'm still me and I am real, you just can't touch me."

Obi-Wan felt a single tear rolling down his cheek. How many times had there been when he wished he could speak to his master again, to get his advice and in some occasions, comfort? Now he was here, and he felt totally empty..

"Why now? If you had been able to do this all the time, why didn't you come all those years ago? I needed you master, I needed you so much at that time, and I would have given my left arm to be able to talk to you again. Why do you come before me now?"

Qui-Gon actually looked a bit ashamed: "I'm sorry, padawan, I'm truly sorry that I couldn't be there for you, but you had to find your own path after all that happened. It was not up to me to interfere with your relationship with Anakin. You was, are, strong and I knew you would manage somehow."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, accepting the truth in his master's words.

"Besides," Qui-Gon continued,"I couldn't have done it. At least not appeared like you see me know. It took a while to get to know my new existence, and I was not able to appear physically. When I died, and I do _not_ recommend being penetrated by a lightsaber, I felt all the pain cease and I existed in an empty space. It was as if I were transformed into being a part of the Force and still I was me. I recognized my own feelings, my own self, but I couldn't feel my body anymore. I could see myself lying on the floor and I wanted so much to reach out for you and tell you how proud I was of you in that moment. But I couldn't. My voice had gone and there was no way I could reach you."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan whispered, "I was so afraid I had disappointed you."

"No, never, my young friend. I stayed 'floating' in the Force for a long period of time. There were periods when I really felt that the Force was all that existed, and there were periods when I actually could collect the 'me' I had become and see what was going on. I saw how you struggled to come to terms with my death, an how hard it was for you to accept your new role as a Master, but still I couldn't reach you. As more time passed, I became more adept to gathering the new 'me' and I could gather myself more at will. And I saw how well your relationship with Anakin improved. I was really, really proud of you. You must not doubt that for a moment. But yet I couldn't and wouldn't reach you. I sometimes longed to do it, but you were doing so well on your own. In the years to come I followed you closely, but I didn't interfere. At that time I could possibly have reached you, but still time wasn't right. You had become a full-fledged Master of the Order and you didn't have the need for me anymore."

"Not true," Obi-Wan muttered, "I never ceased to need your advice."

"Which was more than you realized as a Padawan," Qui-Gon chuckled, remembering the headstrong boy that had been his apprentice so many years ago.

Obi-Wan flushed slightly, knowing that there was some truth in his master's words.

"However, I kept following you. Not everywhere and certainly not all the time, but I was there when you were in trouble. I was there through your captivity at Geonosis, but you stood strong against Dooku so there was no need for me to interfere. And there were other incidents as well, but I restrained myself from letting you sense my presence. The only time I did so was during the time Ventress held you captured at Rattatak." The ghost's voice turned hoarse by the memory. "I could not reach you physically. If I'd been able to, I would have freed you in a moment. But there is no way I can interfere physically in my present condition. That is for the living. But I did talk to you, encouraging you to never give up hope, never let her win."

"I heard you then," Obi-Wan whispered, "I thought I was delusional due to the pain and the lack of food and water, but it was really you? Sometimes I even thought I could feel your hand on my shoulder or a slight stroke on my cheek…"

"It was me," the ghost confirmed."I tried to let you know that someone was there for you even though you couldn't see me, and I tried to give you strength to withstand the torture and to try to find a solution to get away from that hellhole."

"But why have you come here now?" Obi-Wan asked.

"As Master Yoda said, I have lectures for you to learn. Your time is far from up yet. There is still much for you to do and accomplish in this life, but when your time comes, whenever it comes, you may serve the Force well in the same way as I do now. If you want to. The decision is yours to make, but I'm quite certain there will be need for your presence also after your physical death. However, you may chose not to accept these lessons, and if that is your choice you will become one with the Force when your time as a physical being is up."

Obi-Wan swallowed hard: "Do I have to make the decision now?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, of course not. You may take some time to think it over. Going into the Force as a normal living being will give you the peace you've longed for so many times, but you will lose your 'self' so to speak, and you will definitely not be able to reach for the living. If you choose to learn the lectures I have for you, you may still serve the Force also when your physical 'I' has ceased to exist."

_Oh, how can I make this decision? There has been so many times when I really wanted to feel the peace in the Force. And who would need me anyway? Why should I be needed, when so many just…go? My Master is, was, a special man so it feels right that he still exists, but me…why me? Why would I be necessary - to anyone? On the other hand, I became a Jedi to serve the galaxy and all it's living beings, and if I could do so even after my death, wouldn't that be to fulfill the oath I gave when I was knighted? If there is a way to serve also when my time has come, how can I refuse?_

Obi-Wan drew his breath. The force was flowing around him, through him. Gentle waves were washing over him, encouraging him, assuring him. He would be needed. It didn't tell him how or when but it would come a time when his spirit would be needed even if it had left his body.

Silently he rose and knelt on one knee before his former master, bowing his head slightly, both hands resting on his other knee: "Master Qui-Gon, I have come to serve. If it is the will of the Force and you accept me as your apprentice in this matter, I shall learn the ways of the Force also after my physical death."


	8. Ancient Mysteries, New Truths

"I came across the old scripts about the Whills even before you became my padawan, but it wasn't until you came close to your knighthood I really found the time to study them. In that period you were occasionally sent on solo missions and while I stayed in the Temple I found my way back to the Temple archives. After all I needed to keep myself busy to keep from worrying about you." Qui-Gon Jinn's voice was slightly ironic when he remembered his anxiety when his padawan had been sent on his first missions on his own.

"I decided it was time to learn more about the Whills. It took a rather long time. I learned about their origins and their history, but it wasn't until I found the Shaman of the Whill's protocol I learned about their quest for eternal consciousness.

At first it caught my interest simply because it was so obscure. Why should one want to let one's spirit stay behind after one's death? It didn't make sense to me. After all, we were all longing to be one with the Force, and that would happen only when our physical self ceased to exist. I didn't understand, so I dug deeper.

As I continued my studies of the Shaman's journal I began to understand. The way of the Shaman was merely an extension of what we considered being one with the Force would mean. Keeping one's ethereal spirit would make it possible to continue serving others also in the afterlife. The problem was basically to be able to do so, without falling in the trap of being selfish. Most sentient beings try to avoid death as far as possible and when they finally succumb to death it is mostly from selfish reasons. They want peace, loss of pain, of illness - whatever is going on in their lives at that time. And with those selfish wishes, one simply closed off the path of the Whills.

i was no exception. I was about as far from being a saint as one could be, ever considered the roguish Jedi, disobeying the more rigid rules and occasionally opposing the council. I couldn't see how I could achieve the pure unselfishness needed to bring my spiritual self into eternity unharmed."

"But somehow you obviously managed to overcome that obstacle," Obi-Wan shot in.

"So I did," Qui-Gon agreed with a twinkle in his eyes, "but in the end I got help."

"Who was the one to help you?" Obi-Wans curiosity got the better of him and he simply had to ask. "Were there others in the Temple who also were studying the scripts from the Whills? I never even heard anyone mention them on a regular base."

"You did."

"I did what? " Obi-Wan was dumbfounded for a moment."How could I ever have done that? I hardly knew about the Whills, far less did I know anything about their journals and scripts. There is no way I could have done such."

"And yet you did," the amusement in Qui-Gon's voice came clearly through now.

Obi-Wan felt slightly dizzy again. Admittedly he had been a frequent visitor of the Temple archives and he had loved reading about the Order's history, but he had not shared his master's fascination for the more obscure contents of the archives, such as the prophecies and myths. He definitely considered the scripts from the Whills among the latter.

Qui-Gon continued:

"It wasn't until the battle with the sith I understood how selfish I had acted on certain occasions. Well, actually, during the battle I was too preoccupied to even ponder about it, but after my death I got a lot of time for that.

I had let you down in so many ways and I didn't realize it until I died and it was too late to tell you."

"Master, you didn't…." Obi-Wan's interjection was cut short again.

"Oh, but I did. So many times. My first and almost worst mistake was resisting taking you as my padawan. I left you at Melida-Daan despite your young age. When Tahl died I withdrew without realizing that you had to come to terms with your own sorrow. But my last failure was my remark that I would train Anakin. I never meant to repudiate you, I truly meant that you were ready for your trials, but I quickly realized that it had been misunderstood and even if we came to terms with each other again, I felt that the relationship we had had been shattered.

So, in the moment I died - and whatever you do, I don't recommend being pierced by a lightsaber, it hurt- i felt this terrible remorse. I couldn't leave you to deal with Anakin and all the mess I had created on your own. For once, I didn't think of my own wishes. I just wanted to be there with you and help clearing the mess, and I really wanted to tell you how proud I was of you in that moment. I assume that was the thing that saved me from a more ordinary death."

"But…how? You said you couldn't reach me?" Obi-Wan was still puzzled.

"I couldn't. I don't know how it should have been, but I believe I hadn't learned enough. The moment of unselfishness was enough to prevent me from becoming one with the force, but I wasn't skilled enough to…well…gather myself either. I could see what was happening. I saw you…crying. I saw the guards coming to carry my body out. But I was not able to communicate with you or touch you or anything like that. I just was. "

"That sounds much like attachment, Master?"

"In a way it was, I guess, but it was also compassion and love. You see, I didn't stay because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you, though it was much of that as well. My main concern in that single moment was not to leave you alone, not this time."

Obi-Wan stroke his chin pensively.

"i don't want to disrespect your studies or abilities, Master, but this sounds quite random to me. You stayed behind because in that moment you should have died because of a sudden spark of compassion in exactly the right time. Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Pretty much that," Qui-Gon admitted.

"It took me a while to begin to understand. I was merely floating around in the Force. I had my own consciousness, but as I said I couldn't communicate. After a while I realized that I shouldn't either. I was always somewhat thickheaded when I had got an idea. After a while I realized that I shouldn't communicate with you. Not then. You were doing perfectly fine on your own, and any attempt of doing so would just tear down what you had built up. Your relationship with Anakin improved, you became more certain of yourself and you continued to excel in whatever missions you were given. That was when I realized that I actually could be able to communicate with the living."

Qui-Gon chuckled mischievously. "I do believe I managed to startle Master Yoda the first time I spoke to him. It may have been the greatest shock he'd had in some hundred years."

Obi-Wan couldn't keep himself from laughing. It felt good. After the last weeks sorrow and misery the thought of a startled, wide eyed Yoda, simply was too much for him to handle."

"I'm sorry Master…it was just the thought of Master Yoda startling," he managed to get out. "I didn't even think it was possible."

"Believe me, it was," Qui-Gon sobered again. "That was when I also realized that I had truly let go of my selfish wish to speak to you just once more. From that time on I stayed nearby from time to time, but I never interfered. Not until Geonosis."

"But why do you want to teach me this…uh…transition?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously,"And how can it even be done? It seems to me like you spent quite some time to figure this out."

"Because the Force wills it," Qui-Gon answered calmly. "I don't know why, but it is important that this knowledge is given to you. And preferably in this life."

Obi-Wan suddenly felt the Force flowing through him. It was a warm glow of acceptance, caressing his very soul, assuring him that this would be the path he had to follow. There was no knowledge of why or where he would need this new trait, nor how long he would have to practice before he could master it, but it would be needed in the future."

"I heed your words, Master," the ancient formal acknowledgment floated over his lips as if he himself had nothing to say in the matter. He had accepted the training to come and he would willingly give his all to the demands of the Force, as he had always done. "I know this is the right thing to do, though I don't know why. But tell me, how do one train on passing into the force? It's not as I could test it and obviously you learned the way in your afterlife existence."

"Hopefully that won't be necessary," Qui-Gon commented dryly. "My experience in that matter will have to do. I believe much can be achieved by extended meditations, and besides, you have a better starting point than I had. Being unselfish has always been natural for you."

Obi-Wan blushed.

"Master, I have not…"

"Oh, but you have, and you were. You've always put others in front of yourself and you've never spared yourself on the cost of others, as I sometimes did. However, I believe you should take first things first, and finish your work here. It's not as if I'm going anywhere soon, and I believe it would be wise if you made this place somewhat more…inhabitable. A jedi craves nothing but a sleeping mat, a chair and a table wouldn't be excessive luxury, I think."


	9. The Empire's Shadow

Dannar's Claim was a hole. During his many missions as a jedi knight and before that as padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi had seen all kinds of places. He had seen green, lush forests, he had seen dungeons and crowded cities. The ice caves on Illum was not unfamiliar to him and the lower levels of Coruscant was almost as familiar to him as his own lightsaber hilt. But this place was sheer _nothingness_. A few buildings made from something that resembled a mixture of duracrete and clay or sandstone made up most of the little settlement. On the contrary to the Lars' Homestead the houses of Dannar's Claim were built mostly on top of the dry soil, which somehow gave it a more town'ish look. Still there was nothing that resembled streets or a market place or anything else that could possibly be related to a society mostly inhabited by humans.

Actually, there weren't many people to see either. Obi-Wan didn't like it a bit. Trying to keep a low profile was definitely less easy when you were the only man in the street, well non-street actually. He was far to visible for his own taste. Hopefully he looked less like General Kenobi and more like a desert rat coming in after a long journey through the Jundland Wastes, but still he was a bit concerned.

Before leaving his cabin he had done his best to appear less jedi-like. The tabards were neatly tucked away inside the cave and had removed his utility belt and the outer tunic was kept together only by a rope. The lightsaber was well hidden, but still within reach, in his right saddle bag. "Don't focus on your anxieties," he decided,"you've done all you can."

The settlement's shop was constructed by two of the area's dome shaped buildings with an oblong midsection. The entrance proudly bore a sign with "Dannar's Claim". It was easy to see what have happened. Someone, probably one named Dannar, had once in a time decided that the Pika Oasis was a good place to start business, and then buildings had grown up around the shop until the place itself inherited the name. "Dannar must be proud of his work," Obi-Wan thought.

"Nee chokaa," he ordered and Emphie knelt down obediently. "You stay here, girl," he warned her, "and prepare yourself for a heavy load on our way back home."

Then he straightened his robe and entered the shop.

The inside definitely looked better than the outside. A desk went in the longitudinal direction of the room, clearly serving as a counter for the sales area if one should judge from the contents in the shelves immediately behind the counter. It also had the honor of serving as a bar counter. A woman, apparently in her mid-thirties, stood behind the counter busying herself with cleaning the desk. Despite being old an worn the desk and the rest of the room seemed clean and tidy. She was obviously doing a good job with it.

She looked up as he entered: "Good day."

Obi-Wan nodded politely and answered the greeting. First obstacle had been overcome, he had _not_ bowed as a jedi would.

"How can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Oh, I need to buy quite a lot of stuff," he answered. "I was hoping I could get some supplies here so I don't have to go all the way to Anchorhead."

"Do you have a list of what you need? Then I'll see what we can do." The woman's answer was straightforward but not unfriendly.

Obi-Wan handed her the small pad he had carried in his shoulder bag. "I think all of it should be there."

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh, it looks as you're going to settle down in the neighborhood. This was some wish list."

"I'm sorry," she added hastily, "it's none of my business, but can you carry all this stuff with you?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "No, I can't," he stated while a shadow of a smile crossed his face, "but I have an eopie outside and I have good hopes that she will manage."

A new surprised glance.

"An eopie? We don't have many of those in the town. True enough, we are in the middle of nowhere out here, but we do have land speeders."

"I prefer a living being. They need food and water, but at least I don't have to buy fuel for it. Besides, I have no need for moving fast. It's enough for me to be able to move more than a walking distance every once in a while."

The woman nodded again. "Sounds like you're living in the outskirts. Well, let me see what i can find for you. A sleeping mat should be possible to find. Dried meat and vegetables as well. And tea? I'm not too sure about that, but I'll have a look in the warehouse."

The woman disappeared into a room behind the counter, and Obi-Wan could hear her rummaging in shelves and drawers inside. Obviously she was doing a thorough job. For a moment he thought about following her and ask if he could help, but he rejected the idea. Better not to get involved in too much talking. She seemed to be prone to asking questions. Definitely not good. The lesser questions asked, the lesser answers to be made.

A sound from the end of the counter caught his interest, and he took a couple of steps in that direction. The area was arranged as a small cafeteria. Eight tables with four chairs around each were placed haphazardly on the floor. In a corner stood a small holoscreen. "The entertainment is in place in this establishment," he thought dryly.

The screen was showing a newscast. He could recognize the interior of the Senate building, but he didn't quite catch what the news was all about. Then the scene changed and the the Main Hall of the Senate came into view. The camera focused on the Chancellor's -no Emperor's- stand and the Emperor himself came into the view. Obi-Wan could feel his inner self freeze by the sight of that star forsaken traitor and he lost the first words of the Emperor's speech. Then his mind cleared and he was able to focus again: "…and thus I have assigned Lord Vader to the task of revealing the hidings of any remaining Jedi in the galaxy and put them into custody so they cannot pose any threat to our beloved Empire anymore. Lord Vader will have extended authorization to perform his task and he will also be responsible for the founding of a new guard, the Inquisitors, who will be of assistance to him in his formidable task."

Obi-Wan shuddered by the words "extended authorization" being all to well able to fathom what those words would mean to a sith. It was not a pleasant thought. But… Lord Vader? Anakin? Anakin was dead, he had to be. No one could survive injuries like the ones he'd suffered at Mustafar. Could they? Could "The Chosen One"?

Then the image on the holoscreen changed. The recordings of the Emperor disappeared and a projection of a dark figure came into view. It, whatever it was, was almost a head taller than a regular clone and totally dressed in black. The outfit seemed to be a mixture between a metallic and plastoid armor with a row of lights across the chest. It was definitely humanoid with two arms and two legs, but there the resemblance of a human being stopped. The face, it's face, whatever … was metallic, and seemed to be either a full covering mask or the being's face itself. The eyes were dark impenetrable prisms and it's snout seemed to be some kind of a breather mask. It's head was covered by a helmet covering the head and forehead, and prolonged in the back. A heavy black robe fell from it's shoulders, nearly touching the floor. And, which was even more disturbing than the apparition itself was the metal cylinder dangling from it's right hip. A lightsaber. Either the being was trained in the ways of the Sith, or it was force sensitive - most likely both. He could almost feel the darkness oozing from the figure on the screen. The Force itself seem to swivel in worry and concern. Yes, the being was most certainly force sensitive.

"What in all the galaxy _is_ that?" he muttered to himself.

"Oh, there you are," a voice chimed in behind him, "…and to answer your last question: that is the Emperor's new little pet, Lord Vader. I reckon you've not been following the newscasts recently."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, I have been traveling. The receiving conditions out there aren't very good." He waved his hand vaguely towards the desert.

"What is that …thing? It seems more like a droid than a man from the front panel on it's chest and the face covering, but it was presented as a living being."

The woman nodded: "Nobody seems to know. It, or he, was presented some weeks ago as Lord Vader, the new acolyte of the Emperor and the Emperor's right hand in matters that concern the safety of the Empire. Nobody seems to know where he's coming from or what he really is but it may just be a secret, not revealed in the news yet."

Obi-Wan nodded in acceptance. "What was all that stuff about the Jedi?" he asked.

"You must really have been out of reach for a period of time," the woman said incredulously. "The Jedi Order was terminated some weeks ago. It was revealed that they had planned to take over the government and that several of their leaders tried to kill the Chancellor in his own office. The rebellion was averted in the last moment and the Order dissolved. Some of the jedi seems to have taken refugee in the mid- and outer rim and the Emperor wants them brought in for justice to avoid attempts on another take over. In the battle trying to fight down the rebels, their Temple on Coruscant was destroyed."

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw, desperately not commenting on the highly falsified recitation of the events. If there were any living jedi left somewhere out there, they would be in big trouble. That much was certain."

"But what about this Vader guy?" he tried again.

The woman shook her head. "As I said, nobody knows what he is or where he's coming from. He surely seems scary enough, but except the news informing about his existence and his mandate, there hasn't been much information released about him. For all I know he could be a well constructed droid."

"And what about these…inquisitors?" Obi-Wan probed.

"I don't have a clue," the woman shrugged. "I've never heard a word about them until now. If there are any jedi out there that needs to be captured, this Vader guy will obviously have trouble catching them on his own, so I guess he needs help to do that."

"I'm sure he does," Obi-Wan said neutrally.

"Well, I think I found most of the things on your list," the woman continued."It will be a heavy load for your eopie, but it should be manageable. Would you like to check it over, before you pay?"

Obi-Wan nodded, and turned his back to the holoscreen.

The woman had kept her promise. Most of the things he needed was there and the trade was closed.

Soon he was on his way back home again. He really had much to ponder about.


	10. Transformation

The journey back to his cave was took astonishingly more time than it had done in the opposite direction. The eopie was quite heavily loaded with provisions and Obi-Wan found it best to walk beside the animal. It didn't help the matter that he went in deep thoughts.

The dark figure from the holonews had clearly been called Lord Vader. So had Anakin in the last terrible recording from the Temple entrance. But Anakin was dead, wasn't he? Could anyone have survived losing three limbs and severe burns? What would they look like? What would they be? Could Anakin be the same being as the mystic Lord Vader?

Obviously a living being could survive terrible injuries with the right medical attention afterwards. General Grievous had been such. Before being transformed into the droid general he had been a living, breathing being too. Yes, it was definitely possible. After Rattatak he had been more dead than alive himself, and he had survived. With the right help, swiftly enough it could be done. He was sure of that.

_I felt the approach of the Chancellor just before we left Mustafar. He could have been close enough get to Anakin in time. No, not Anakin. Never Anakin. The boy I trained is gone. Yoda was right when he stated that. But where is he now? Has he joined the Force or has he been turned into this…abomination? The Vader presented in the news was taller than Anakin. Anakin was tall but not that much taller than the clones. But if the Chancellor, no…Emperor…blast it, the Sith Lord were able to rescue him, and he might have done just that, then he may have rebuilt him this way to look more intimidating. The legs could easily have been prolonged a bit. Yes, it could have been Anakin. And yet, I should have felt him. We were so close. I should have felt him if he still were alive. But I didn't feel him die either. I really should have felt that, no matter the distance. And the figure on the holonews was just an image, not the real person. Would the Sith have given another apprentice the name Vader if Anakin had died? No. He wouldn't. After Maul he took Dooku as his apprentice. After Dooku came Vader. There have always been new names. Force forbid, this figure must be Vader._

A sudden queasiness flooded him as a wave, and he felt almost dizzy when thinking about the consequences of such.

If the mystic figure actually was what was left of his former padawan, what would happen next? Anakin, no Vader for stars' sake, _Vader_ would certainly know by now that Padmé was gone. What would be his next move? Would he suspect that she had given birth before she died? Would anyone have told it? After all Polis Massa was no deserted outpost. Someone might have seen them arrive and heard about the birth. If so, would Ana…no, Vader, know that two children had been born that day. And even more important, would he go searching for them and if so, where?

_Anakin really despised this place, not only because of his childhood but also because of his mother's death. Would he come to look for the Lars' just in case? If so, would he believe that Luke was their son? Probably not. He would feel the boy''s force signature and realize the truth. Will I have the strength to kill him if he appears. Will I have the ability? I defeated him at Mustafar, but I'm not sure if I can do that once more. He simply must not come here. And what about Leia? Bail and Breha Organa are much more public persons than the Lars' . Anakin wasn't overly interested in Bail after our visit to Zigoola, so he may not know that they cannot have children on their own. Bail told me, but for sure, I never told Anakin afterwards. That wouldn't have been…ethical. But did Padmé know? And if so, did she tell him? Much is dependent of this, but there is no way I can learn the truth about that. I simply just have to wait and see._

It was late in the evening when Obi-Wan finally reached his home. The eopie was relieved of its burdens and Obi-Wan begun the grueling exercise of carrying the goods up the stairs to the cabin. When letting the first load fall to the ground inside he saw a bluish flicker in the corner of the room, and for a terrifying moment he thought: "Vader". "So much for watching too much holonews," he admonished himself as the blue light transformed into the well known figure of Qui-Gon Jinn.

"Your shopping adventure was successful, I see," came the sardonic comment from his Master. "You never did this much shopping at Coruscant."

"I never had to," Obi-Wan answered dryly, "besides, I have two more loads to carry up the stairs. Too bad you can't help me in your current state, Master."

An elegant brow was lifted over Qui-Gon's clear blue eyes: "A bit grumpy, today, Padawan? Are we not?"

"Not grumpy," Obi-Wan retorted."More like shellshocked. I'll tell you about it when I have got all the goods up here."

Qui-Gon nodded silently.

2/3 eopie loads of goods later Obi-Wan sat down on his recently acquired sleeping mat and told Qui-Gon all about his musings after seeing the holonews.

"Do you believe that machine-man really is…was…Anakin?" he asked his former master.

"How could I tell? You know him better than me. Couldn't you feel anything in the Force? "

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, nothing there, but what I saw in the news was only an image. I'm not sure I would have felt anything in the Force because of that."

"By now I have taught you some extended meditation techniques," Qui-Gon said pensively, "you could possibly try to stretch out through the Force and try to reach this Vader. If he is your former apprentice you should be able to recognize him."

"But he knows me, just as well as I know him," Obi-Wan interjected. "Don't you think there is a danger that he could recognize me as well, and come after me. I'm not worried on behalf of myself, but we cannot risk him finding Luke. Or Leia."

"There is always a danger," Qui-Gon agreed,"but if he is searching for either of you, knowing about it would give you an advantage, and if not it would give you some peace of mind. At least for the moment being."

"I'll give it a try," said Obi-Wan, and added: "I know, I know. There is no try. Do or do not. I'll do it."

He sat down and sunk gradually into the deep meditative state he had been taught through the last weeks.

_The Force feels like water, sometimes it's calm and quiet, other times it is like a stormy ocean and sometimes again it flows in soft and sharpened eddies like a wide river or a small stream. But it is always in motion. Floating, floating from the still surface, deeper, always deeper to the layers where the undercurrents flow. See what cannot be seen with human eyes. Feel the depth of emotions and sense the life around you. Focus, yet let go. Let go of everything, fear, happiness, despair, let it all go and follow the currents._

_The flow is calming, caring away. Far away. Emptiness, more emptiness and then a focal point. Another mind long forgotten and lost, and yet only a few standard days ago. Or so it feels. What is a few weeks in the calendar of eternity? In a companionship lasting for more than a decade?_

_The focal point is glimmering, not with the brightness of the Force, but with an all consuming darkness, and yet the darkness is glimmering like an invert shadow of what used to be a bright mind, unsullied by the darkness._

_Deeper, go deeper. Reach for it, and let it go - all in the same time._

_Pain, incredible pain. Not the physical pain coming with extended injuries but mental pain, loss, anger, sorrow. The loss of missing a loved one, like the sun has suddenly been extinguished. Nothing left, nothing. Nothing to live for, yet a feeling of …not being able to let go. Anger. Why did she leave me? She should have followed me… I failed her. I failed them! No, not me. She, they, left me. All that is left is this existence that I have now. If it weren't for the Chancellor I would have nothing left. I don't even have_ me _left. Kill them, kill them all. The Jedi kept me down, they kept me from my wife for all those years. At least we could have had each other for a longer time if it hadn't been for them. As long as there is a chance that there may be anyone left alive in the galaxy, I will hunt them down and get rid of them once and for all. And most of all him. My Master. The one that betrayed me in the end. The one that let my wife die. He's out there somewhere. He must be, and I shall find him._

Obi-Wan withdrew abruptly from the deep meditative trance. Cold sweat was dripping off of his brow and mixed with the tears rolling down his cheeks and his mouth felt dry as if he had been screaming. He knew he hadn't. A scream like that would have woke up any sleeping krayt in a radius of three klicks. He was panting as if he had been forced to run, escaping from said krayt dragons. Yet he was still sitting on his sleeping mat.

Qui-Gon's apparition watched him with more than a little concern in his eyes.

"It was him. Anakin. Or what's left of him inside that terrible Vader figure. I felt him. He's so sad, so full of despair and rage. All the things I taught him to release, and then some more. He's missing her, missing Padmé so much. And he hates me even more for taking her away from him. Because that's how the truth appears in his twisted mind."

"I'm glad you realize that it has nothing to do with you," Qui-Gon said quietly.

"Hasn't it now?" Obi-Wan's voice was on the edge of pure sarcasm,"I'd say it has everything to do with me. If I had been there for him when he needed me, needed someone, it might not have come to this. But so be it. It's too late for me to make amends for that now. The important thing is, he doesn't know about the children. He's so focused on hatred and loss that he doesn't even think about his children. He must believe they died with her."

"However, from the holonews and from what I could sense through the meditation, there still must be some Jedi alive in the galaxy."


	11. Anybody Out There?

As soon as the words had been said there was no way back, at least not for the thoughts. Could there really be any surviving Jedi out there? The clones had done a thorough job when turning to follow Order 66, but yet… They were good, but not invincible. It was actually possible that there could be some survivors.

"What are you thinking? I know that look on your face." Qui-Gon watched his former padawan with some concern.

"I…no, I don't…it's just… What if there really are survivors?" Obi-Wan's voice was hoarse and strained. "Can they survive on their own? Is it possible that some of them could even find each other? How many could there be, if there really are any? Master Yoda survived with help from the Wookiees. I survived thanks to Boga. There could actually be some. Mace, Kit and Saesee went to see Palpatine. As far as we know they never came back so he must have killed them, but there could definitely be others. Depa was on a mission in the outer rim with her Padawan Caleb Dume when all hell broke loose. They were both good fighters and strong in the Force. She may have survived. Plo was leading a campaign by Cato Neimoidia. I didn't hear anything about that, but there was so little time."

He stopped talking and sighed audible.

It was not likely there were many survivors, but yet… Would it be fair to abandon them without any attempt of searching? After all he had been a member of the High Council and didn't that give him certain obligations? But what could he do?

_I came here by my own free will, and I promised to stay and protect Luke until he's grown enough to learn the ways of the Force, but that lays far ahead in the future. I cannot feel any immediate danger related to him. I could go searching, just once, to see if I possibly could find any surviving Jedi. But if so, where can I hide them? Where can they be safe? I must not lead them here, that would certainly not be wise. Alderaan is out speech as well. The attention must not be drawn to that planet either. It's bad enough with Bail Organa being a senator well known for his reluctant support to the Chancellor, well Emperor it is by now._

Qui-Gon had stayed calm and silent in a corner of the room, but as Obi-Wan emerged from the obviously deep thoughts he spoke: "Well, your conclusion is…?"

"There is no conclusion," Obi-Wan retorted, more sharply than he'd intended to,"more _confusion,_ actually. But I do feel that there may be more survivors out there."

"…and you want to go out there, rescuing them," Qui-Gon added.

"Well, yes. Er…no. I don't know if I should, or even if I could. Force, I don't even know if anyone needs rescuing. I'm stuck here, How could I possibly go out there wherever 'there' is to look for them? I don't have a ship, and I really don't think it would be wise using public transport more than necessary. Whatever I do, I don't want Palpatine to know about my whereabouts, and more important I don't want to lead neither him nor his troopers in this direction. I don't even have money so I could buy a ship, even if I had the possibility. "

Qui-Gon nodded thoughtfully.

"No, transport would definitely be a problem," he agreed solemnly, "you don't get far with that eopie of yours."

"Should I really go, Master?" the question and the nearly pleading voice made Qui-Gon almost smile. It reminded him way too much of the wide eyed, young boy who had become his apprentice so many years ago.

He didn't catch the bait. Instead a twinkle occurred in the cobalt blue eyes.

"You are, I believe, a full fledged Jedi Knight, a Master of the Jedi Order and also a member of the High Jedi Council. I should believe you were able to make your own decisions by now. But, since you're asking me…I think you should meditate upon the question, and continue your training here. I'm sure if the Force wills you to leave in a quest for fellow Jedi, a solution will present itself in due time."

Obi-Wan bowed his head slightly: "Yes, Master."

…..

The following weeks continued in the same way as the preceding, with some exceptions. Obi-Wan had finished working on his cabin. It had become an, under the circumstances, comfortable home. He had never been an early bird but he chose to get up in the morning before the heat of the day set in. Higher up in the mountain, not very far from the hut, he had found a rather wide plateau and in the early morning hours he practiced every kata he'd ever learned in the Temple. It wasn't exactly as good as a real sparring match, but it was the best he could do. Over the years he had changed his style from the rather agile and physical demanding style of Ataru to the more careful and defensive art of Soresu. In these self-imposed training sessions he decided to aim for honing his skills in the other styles as well. The training posed both as physical exercise, moving meditations and improving his abilities in combat. If the circumstances hadn't been so horrible, he could actually have enjoyed this lifestyle.

When the heat became too intense to continue the physical exercises, he returned to the cave. It held an, if not perfect, comfortable temperature through the day, and after a light morning meal he spent hours in the deep meditation Qui-Gon had taught him.

Some days he chose to roam the terrain surrounding his home. Knowing the landscape and the area well could some day come in handy. It was on one of these excursions he discovered the caves. He had chosen to explore the canyon from where the stairs to his cabin lead, and he soon discovered that a klick or so further in from the Dune Sea it widened into something that actually resembled a plain. But even more important, the surrounding mountain sides were perforated with great and small caves, probably formed in a distant past when a river had been flowing through the canyon. Some of the caves were actually big enough to be the home of a krayt dragon, even though no signs of such were to be seen. He spent some time exploring the caves and realized that even though most of them were rather shallow and not very interesting, there were also a few rather huge caves that opened up into large halls with fairly smooth walls and a curved, nearly domed, ceiling.

From time to time he saw traces after other living beings, but it didn't seem like the Tuskens frequently came this far into the mountains. That was a relief. He didn't worry about the sand people per se, but he'd rather avoid any confrontations with them as long as possible. The visions about Anakin's slaughter of the Tusken village's inhabitants was still a raw, hurting spot in his mind.

No, he most certainly wouldn't like to be engaged in a fight with the sand people. They had been harmed enough.

The evenings were spent in company with Qui-Gon, often in amicable silence. It was, actually, quite weird to spend the evenings with his long ago deceased master, but it was also of great comfort. During all those years after Qui-Gon's death on Naboo, he had never stopped missing his Master, even though he had come to terms with the situation.

"So much for 'attachments forbidden' " he thought. "I really don't live as I preached."

The haunting dreams about Anakin appeared more seldom, and gradually he transformed from the heartbroken and nearly depressed being he had been when he established himself in the cabin. The sorrow and regret over things that had been and things he could have done differently still overwhelmed him once in a while, but slowly he began to resemble his old self, the calm and quiet Master Kenobi.

He welcomed the transition, but with the increased self confidence the nagging thought of the possible other survivors from Order 66 increased in intensity as well.

And one afternoon the predicted solution presented itself.A


	12. A Solution Presents Itself

The solution to Obi-Wan's problem appeared after one of his excursions in the close vicinity and it did so in a less than favorable manner. It came from the sky.

He was on his way home from a day long hike in the mountains. He had found it wise to explore this area as well. He knew there were krayt dragons somewhere in the area, because he had heard their growls and screams throughout the nights, but he did not know where exactly they had their caves. He had decided it would be good to know, at least so he could avoid walking into the area without knowing.

He had found their home, a rather wide valley higher up in the mountains. Obviously they were resting in their caves during daytime,but he had seen the tip of an enormous tail stick out of one cave and he assumed there had to be more than one inhabitant.

"Better leave the neighbors in peace," he thought, and made a quiet retreat back the way he had come.

The white blazing heat of the day had lost for a more golden evening glow when he approached his little home. He was on his way descending the last steep mountainside when he first saw it. At first it was only a glow, a small moon on the sky shining with a whiter light than evening glow from the suns. Then it increased in size.

Obi-Wan jumped quickly down the rest of the mountain side, eager to find shelter in-between the rocks before the pilot of the spacecraft could see him sitting there, as clearly visible as a fly on the wall. A slightly force controlled landing later and he was hidden behind the rocks.

"I definitely don't want to be seen here," he thought. "The 'someone' up there may start asking questions."

Either 'someone' had actually seen him or the same 'someone' was in trouble. The sleek starship appeared to be a pursuit craft of the Lancer Class if he wasn't totally mistaken. A slight shiver ran through his body. "I have no idea what this means, but I have a bad feeling about this," he mused. "There aren't any reasons for a single ship of that class to come here. They usually operate in the mid-rim so what the blazes is it doing out here?"

He decided to move down to the desert, if the mysterious someone actually landed and appeared in person he definitely didn't want them to find their way into the mountains. The ship swept gracefully over the desert landscape, turned 180 degrees and came back again. Then it slowly went in for landing.

"Uh-oh, not good."

As soon as the ship stood steadily on the ground the hatch opened and the conclusion 'not good' suddenly got a deeper meaning. Thought the swirling sands two slim legs appeared, followed by a similarly slim but muscular torso. Obi-Wan felt a chill run through his body. He could feel the ice-cold hatred emanating from the being within. This was definitely not good at all. His worries were confirmed as soon as the last part of the figure could be seen beneath the vessel's hull.

High, elegant cheekbones, Ice-blue eyes slightly narrowed towards the sunlight. Bald head and dark tattoos decorating the lower part of the face, stretching from the angle of the mouth towards the chin.

Asajj Ventress.

Of all the persons he had _not_ expected to see, she was on top of his list. He had been so certain that she was dead on Christophsis, but obviously the rumors had been false. She was very much alive, and he didn't like it a bit.

_What in all the blazes is she doing here? Is she looking for me, and if so, who else knows or suspects that I'm here? Is she alone? I cannot reveal myself to her, but in case she decides to explore the mountains I have no choice. I cannot let her find my cabin, she would know that it's me in a blink. We know each other too well. If it comes to that, I will have to kill her. If she recognizes me, she cannot be allowed to leave Tatooine. There's too much on stake for that._

Obi-Wan ducked with a heartfelt hope that Ventress wouldn't sense him. The hope was, as he had suspected, in vain. She stood completely still, like a hunting predator. Then she resolutely began to walk towards the place he was hiding. "Blast it!" he thought.

"Step forward," the voice was just as sharp and cold as he remembered. "Step forward. I know you're there."

The thoughts flew through his mind in a moment, stay or step forward. Hide or fight? He wished for the first, but then he felt a trickle in the Force encouraging him to step forward. Slowly he stood up and took some steps to meet her on open ground.

"Kenobi, my darling. If I had known earlier that you had settled in such a miserable place, I would have come sooner." Her voice was just as taunting as he remembered.

"My dear," he answered calmly, "you have _not_ been sorely missed."

"Since we're now happily reunited I would be glad to once again invite you to be my guest in my -ah- particular guest suite in my castle."

Obi-Wan bowed slightly, not moving the glance from her movements for a second.

"Sadly, I have to decline your kind offer. As I remember all to well the hospitality was aligned with the comfort of your guest room, rather non-existing, actually. The menu was also less than favorable according to my taste."

They both silenced for a moment.

"I should have known that if there was one Jedi who had survived the Emperor's plan, it would have been you, Kenobi. I'm sorry to say that if you really decline my offer of…relocation, I have to convince you otherwise."

Obi-Wan sighed: "As persistent as ever, I see. I'm sorry. You should never have come here, but since you already have, I have little choice. I prefer the calmness out here in the more rural areas and your so-called relocation is not an option. However, I do not trust your discretion in this matter so I cannot let you leave."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening me? It is not very Jedi like."

"Not threatening, merely informing," he retorted calmly, posing his body in the opening stance for the Soresu defense. He really didn't want to attack first, but on the other hand he were under no illusions that she wouldn't attack. He could already see the anger sparking in her eyes. It wouldn't be long now.

"So be it, if you don't want to accept my invitation, I have to…encourage you to do so."

A humming tune could be heard as one lightsaber ignited, then another. Two red rays of light shone bright in the evening sun. Obi-Wan unclipped his own saber from the utility belt, and it sparkled to life as he lifted it in the traditional Soresu salute before lifting his elbow to take the opening stance.

Ventress 'sabers gleamed through the air, forming swift shapes of red lightening. The attack was aggressive, too aggressive for the usually elegant Makashi style, but potentially deadly. Ventress was not an opponent to be taken lightly upon. Obi-Wan blocked and stepped out of the way for the other saber. The duel had begun.

Ventress was a skilled fighter, and he soon realized that she had developed even more honed skills since their last duel. Makashi was originally invented to be a defense form, to some extent as Soresu, but she had developed it into a more aggressive style, attacking rapidly with first one 'saber then the other one. Obi-Wan twisted and turned, fully occupied with either avoiding or blocking the strokes. Sparks flew as he retreated a step and blocked both Ventress' lightsabers with an upward arc shaped stroke. A lightening quick left hand stab made her lightsaber almost touch his ribs. Obi-Wan barely evaded the stab, stepping aside and sweeping it off with a quick movement towards it. Ventress span almost in a full circle, this time attacking towards his neck. Another block. Blue lightsaber sparked against deadly red.

"You're weak Kenobi. Surrender and I will grant you an easy death." Her voice was dripping with malice.

Obi-Wan retreated two more steps. Then he attacked. His lightsaber was a whirl of blue light and for a while Ventress had a hard time blocking and evading the blue fire. This time it was her turn to step back. Obi-Wan could feel her frustration growing.

She advanced again, turning to a strategy where she swept towards his arms and neck with her right 'saber, then towards his waist with the left. Quick, short strokes in an incredible speed. Obi-Wan blocked again and spun out of reach from her left hand stroke. Again and again.

"You must do better than that, my dear," he taunted. "Your style still lacks some finesse."

A new series of attacks followed. Parry, retreat, block. Spin, block, duck. Then she stumbled. The loose sand made her lose her footings for a tiny moment and she almost fell, but again she regained her balance before he could strike her down. However, it gave him the time he needed for diving deeper into the force, where time ceased to exist and only the kaleidoscope of blue and red could be seen. His body felt light as a feather.

Parry, block, strike.

Her attacks became more intense and he realized that she was luring him into a trap, a trap created by the settling twin suns. A few more strokes and parries and he would be facing the suns. It would definitely give him a disadvantage. Well, so be it. The Force didn't give him any warnings so he followed her lead.

Parry, block, evade.

Two more sets of frantic attacks from Ventress' side and he was almost facing the suns. The deadly dance continued. Then he felt a nudge from the Force: "Now!" The suns were almost reaching the horizon, and he had slowly gotten used to the almost blinding light. Then he realized. He had slowly been forced into a position where he faced the suns while she had them in the back. But what if situation literally turned? She would be totally blinded for a moment. He just had to swap their positions. Quickly. So she couldn't adapt to the change of light.

Ataru!

The most acrobatic of the seven lightsaber combat forms had been his favorite in his youth, but with time he had perfected the more restrained form III, Soresu. In all his combats with Ventress, Soresu had been his preferred form. Now was the time to change that. For a brief moment he drew the Force to him, felt it whirl through him and fill his entire body with the well known strength. He leapt. He somersaulted easily over her head and as soon as his feet touched the ground he crouched and turned a full 180 degree turn. Ventress turned around and was momentarily blinded by the settling suns. It lasted only for a moment, but the moment was long enough. Obi-Wan's lightsaber found it's target. A quick stab and the 'saber slid under her right arm and pierced her chest, burning through rib and veins, grazed her heart and finally penetrated her lungs. For a moment she stood still. The shock was visible in her eyes. Her lightsabers fell from her hands and landed softly in the sand. Then her knees buckled and she collapsed.

Obi-Wan shut down his lightsaber, and knelt beside her. She was still alive but it wouldn't last for long. A deep sadness for a life lost filled him, and he touched her cheek. Ice-blue eyes already dim by the approaching death met his.

"You…won." Her voice was hardly audible.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I didn't want it to end like this."

Her eyes closed for a moment, then opened again:"If it had to be…this way….I'm glad it was you…"

He swallowed hard.

"Hold…me," her voice barely a whisper now.

He bent down and gently put an arm behind her neck, lifted her torso, holding her towards his chest. The blue eyes met his one last time: "I'm…sorry."

Then her head fell back and through the Force he could feel her spirit leaving her, leaving only crude matter behind.

"I forgive you." He knew she couldn't hear him anymore, but he needed to tell her nonetheless.

He laid the dead body down in the sand and rose slowly. What should he do now? A dead woman on the sand. Well, the desert itself would take care of that, but there was also the ship, the "Banshee". That would not be hidden so easily. And he couldn't by any means leave it behind in the desert either. It would be too visible, and surely attract unwanted guests.

No, that was definitely not an option.

Actually neither were.

He couldn't leave her like this.

She had been his enemy through so many years. She had nearly killed him in that damned cell on Rattatak and numerous times before that they had battled. Still, he had somehow admired her. Not for the cruelty and violence, but for her stubborn spirit and for her determination to not give in. Ever. No matter the circumstances. And she had said she was sorry. Finally. In that single moment he had not felt any darkness from her. She had died in the light, as a jedi should. No, he would bury her like a jedi. He just had to find a place where he could lit her funeral pyre without it being visible from the Claim.

The valley with the caves. He was almost certain that the ship could be hidden in one of the largest caves. A bypassed would see it easily enough, but there weren't many of those in the mountains and a krayt would hardly mind. The most important thing was that it would be hidden from the air. Besides, the valley would provide enough vegetation to build a decent pyre.

A few minutes later he entered the cockpit of the ship with Ventress' dead body lying on the floor in the cabin behind the cockpit area. The ship took of and headed into the mountains.

He had been right. The largest cave was more than big enough for the sleek craft. He thought of flying it in but had his doubts whether he could stop quickly enough, so instead he put it down right in front of the cave and used the Force to move it. It took all he had and then some, but he managed. "Size matters!" he mumbled between clenched teeth.

It took him even more time to gather enough branches and debris to build the pyre, but finally he had gathered a decent amount of branches and twigs. He arranged Ventress dead body on top of it with her hands neatly folded over her ribcage, one of her lightsabers in her hand. Pensively he looked at the other 'saber. It didn't feel right to put it there too. No, the Force urged him to leave it be so he laid it carefully on the ground. Then he lit the pyre with his own lightsaber.

"You were born a child of the light, but you never got the chance to develop in that direction. Instead you suffered losses that no child should have to bear and the darkness almost consumed you. Still you never gave up fighting, and in the end you realized that there were still light in you. Be at peace, Asajj Ventress, and may you achieve the peace in the Force that you never found in your life."

It took hours before the last embers of the pyre died and the plain was once more dark and quiet.


	13. Decisions to be Made

Obi-Wan climbed slowly up the stairs to the hut. It had been an eventful evening and night to say the least, and he felt drained. The appearance of Ventress, the fight and then the funeral was far more than he had expected when he left his home in the morning, and the events had shattered him in more than one way. Had she been hunting him and found him so easily, or was her presence a mere coincidence? If she really had been searching for him, how many others, and who, suspected he was still alive. The thought of whom that might be was not comforting.

Bone tired he sat down on his self constructed sleep couch an pulled off his boots. He had been able to collect some of the water that trickled down behind his desk and decided to spend some of it to clean up. Somehow he felt dirty. As much as he had loathed Ventress he had also pitied her, and being the one to kill her had taken it's toll on him.

Sweat and sand were washed off and he went to bed, but sleep wouldn't find him easily. He had a ship now and if needed be he could leave the planet. And hopefully return too. The memory of the holonews was constantly pulling and prodding on his mind. There might be other out there that had survived the purge. How could he sit here, relatively safe, if some of his own could use his help out there? He surely hadn't planned to leave Tatooine for some foolhardy self-imposed mission but… could he really stay and do nothing? And even more important, _would_ he?

It didn't feel good. Not at all.

Eventually he fell into a restless sleep.

Morning came and he felt almost as tired as he would have if he hadn't slept at all, which was uncomfortably close to the truth. He got up and went outdoor to perform his morning meditation.

_The Force swirled around him in the well known eddies. Pure, calm, quiet, flowing through him and soothing his mind. He sank deeper into it's currents. He felt like he was hovering above himself, united with the rocky landscape around him, stretching out feeling the inhabitants of the Claim waking to life. Further out a child was laughing. Luke. He was safe, at least for the moment. The currents carried him out. He felt the pain of other sentient beings, calmness, still forests on remote planets. Then something nudged his mind. Someone stretching out from across the galaxy. A familiar presence of something he had felt his entire life, the presence of another, no more jedi. Alone, wary, on the run. Yes, someone was still alive out there._

He broke the mediation and blinked towards the suns. They were rising fast on the sky.

The simple breakfast was quickly consumed and he poured himself another mug of tea and went outdoors again. The flat boulder he used to sit on was still in shadow. Pensively he sipped it. A blue flicker in the door appeared and Qui-Gon's form materialized slowly. He was somewhat more difficult to see out in open daylight, but it was still possible.

"You look tired, padawan?"

"I am." Obi-Wan retold last evening's events quickly.

"Hmm, I see your point. There may be more Jedi alive out there. It's fully possible that some escaped the clones and if Vader is hunting them down they may need help."

Obi-Wan nodded.

"If I choose to go, _where_ should I go?" he sighed. "The galaxy is vaste and we were widely spread. I have no idea where potential survivors may be."

Qui-Gon stroke his bearded chin. "Where would be the most reasonable place to go for anyone being nearly killed by the clone troopers?"

The question was apparently rhetoric because the answer was obvious: "The Temple, of course. I set up a warning, but if someone were on their way before I changed the message, they may very well have been in hyperspace and not noticing the change of the recording. But that wouldn't help much. The Tempe is a pile of ruins, right now. Parts of it were still standing when I was there but, I assume the Emperor have had it demolished even more."

"Assume nothing, my friend," came Qui-Gon's answer.

"So, you think I should go to the Temple."

"I didn't say that. There may be other places that turn out to be more effective places to search," was Qui-Gon's cryptic reply.

Obi-Wan pondered the comment.

"You are right. The Temple itself may be too dangerous, but there are other places. I wonder if Dex has managed to keep his place open. His relationship with the jedi was well known, but on the other hand they may have let him continue the business hoping that ignorant survivors would turn up there. Coming there could be a trap as good as any."

"You always were an excellent bait, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gin's eyes shone with amusement.

"That I was, but back then I always had backup, either you or later Anakin. I'm not sure if I like the idea of walking into a trap without someone holding my back."

They both silenced for a while.

"But there are someone out there. I just know it. And I believe I need to find them, or at least some of them. I promised to stay here and submit to your teachings, Master, but it feels important that I should go. And I believe Luke and his family is safe, at least for the time being."

"You can still come back to my teachings," Qui-Gon answered drily. "It's not like I'm going to die until you're back… And I believe you are right. It's imperative that you go seeking for the 'someone' or 'someones' out there. I can feel it too. Under the circumstances I believe even Master Yoda would accept the change of plans."

Obi-Wan agreed. "I'll stay for a couple of days more to see if something else is happening here. If Ventress wasn't alone someone should turn up rather soon. If everything stays quiet, I'll take Ventress' ship to Coruscant and see if I can find Dex."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't the ship be too easily recognized there?"

"Good point. I guess it would. She may have been there more than once, and I must admit I cannot pass as her. I refuse to shave my head to try to be a Ventress' lookalike."

Qui-Gon snorted: "It wouldn't help anyway.I presume that this Ventress person didn't have a beard."


	14. Always on the Move

The following days were busy with meditation, lightsaber exercises and thinking. For some reason the Force urged Obi-Wan to go to the Temple but how could he get there without being caught by the troopers? Or Vader? It was almost 100% certain that the Temple, or rather Temple ruins now, was under strong surveillance by the empire and so were the spaceports. He assumed that flying 'Banshee' there would be equivalent to marching straight into the krayt's den. Not an option.

He could probably go to Alderaan, but again, his ship might possibly draw the attention to the planet which would not be good under the circumstances. Keeping Leia safe was as important as keeping Luke safe, and a Jedi flying the ship of a well known Sith apprentice there wouldn't be a good thing.

Eventually Nar Shaddaa became his choice. His arrival on the smugglers' moon would probably go quite unnoticed as long as they didn't recognize him as jedi. Money would be the problem, but if he could use his meagre reserves as a deposit for having the ship there he could take a public transport to Coruscant and as soon as he had managed to break into the Temple he could possibly access some of the values from the Temple vault so he could pay the full fee when he needed the ship again. If he came back. The thought was disturbing in many ways but he couldn't think of a better solution so he stuck with that.

However, public transport to Coruscant would be a problem. He could easily be recognized there, but he could use Alderaan as an intermediate stop. He assumed he could get in touch with the Organa family and hide in one of their transports to Coruscant. Yes, that was definitely a possibility.

The next morning he set off. The 'Banshee' was still safely hidden in the cave where he had left it and when he started the engines the response was immediate. Ventress had kept her ship in excellent condition. Soon he was on his way into orbit and coordinates were set for Nar Shaddaa via a zig-zag route sending him in various directions through hyperspace before his final destination was entered. Better safe than sorry in case someone saw the departure.

The travel was unexpectedly uneventful. He arrived Nar Shaddaa without any encounters with the empire. Before landing he made an improvised disguise. The tabards and utility belt had to go, and were safely tucked away in a satchel. A bandana he found was tied around his brow and he had already let his beard grow for the last week. It wouldn't hold any close inspection but at least it didn't scream 'Jedi' all over the place. Still his pulse was a bit higher than normal when he left the ship.

The spaceport officer was a grumpy Toydarian. It took a while convincing him that leaving the ship for a couple of weeks would actually be beneficial for him when Obi-Wan returned, but after long discussions and a payment that took almost all Obi-Wan's remaining fundings he grumpily agreed to keep the ship in a corner of the docking area.

"If I haven't returned within one full moon, it will be all yours," Obi-Wan promised. "Then I will most likely not need it anyway."

….

It took him almost a day finding a cargo ship that would fit his needs. He needed one with a cargo that would have a minimum of heating, and some air circulation too. Freezing or suffocating to death in space was not a part of his plan. Secondly he needed a pilot that was not resistant to mind tricks, just in case. Luck was with him again. He finally found a Corellian freighter heading for Alderaan, and the craft even had a Nikto pilot.

"As good as it gets," he concluded.

The ship was almost full loaded when he snuck out of his hiding, grabbed a box and began to shove it towards the ship. The pilot looked at him, suspiciously.

"Who are you? You're not one of the ordinary dockers, and definitely not one of the ground crew either," he demanded to know.

"I'm one of the special crew for this cargo. You will let me pass," Obi-Wan instructed, letting the force enhanced command flow towards the pilot. He could see the pilots eyes turning into a more distant look.

"You are allowed to pass," he agreed.

Obi-Wan shoved the crate up the loading ramp and into the cargo hold, put it neatly aside before he opened a corner and pulled out his satchel. Then he quickly disappeared behind a huge crate in the inner corner of the room.

…..

Alderaan was a peaceful planet and as such disembarking the ship went quickly. The control of arriving passengers was brief and Obi-Wan blended in with a group coming from a large passenger ship almost simultaneously as the craft he had lent arrived. He knew that the Organa family owned a castle just outside the capital, Aldera. He just hoped that Queen Breha would be there and not residing in any of the family's other properties. He decided to walk there by foot. He really needed some exercise and fresh air after too many hours spent in space. Once again he was lucky. The old castle resided on a hill just outside the city and from a distance he could see the Organa family's banner flutter over the castle roof. At least someone from the royal family had to be home.

He hadn't made any plans of how to access the castle. It was clear to him that he couldn't just walk in the door and ask for audience. He was certain that the Organas wouldn't betray him, but there could be others. He'd better be careful from now on.

The castle was surrounded by a high wall and even though the gates were open at this time of day two guards were posing outside the gate. No entrance there, obviously. He wouldn't risk attempting a mind trick on those. He had a feeling that none who were serving Bail Organa and his family would be simpleminded beings. No, he had to try other and more straight forward methods. He went briskly by the castle gates and as soon he was out of sight he leapt into the forest surrounding the castle. He'd better check if there were any places where the wall actually could be climbed.

The problem was the surveillance. There had to be some, and he didn't know the tiniest bit about how it worked. He had to assume there would be security cameras all over the place, but what else. The wall seemed to be solid enough but could there be some shield on top of it? Or power cables? And what else?

Carefully he continued around the castle's walls searching for anything that possibly could help him inside without being detected. Most likely there would be surveillance cameras and detectors outside the walls as well.

As ever so often before the solution presented itself, this time in the shape of a cliff. It was a part of a steep hill behind the castle and it was definitely so far away from the wall that a normal being wouldn't dare to jump. But in that respect a jedi master couldn't be considered as 'normal'. It would require all the force enhancement he could put into the jump, but he could manage it. He would manage it. Resolutely he climbed the cliff to get a better overview.

There, just to the right of the most favorable place to jump was a metallic device which he assumed was some kind of a holo-recorder.

"Good," he muttered to himself when he saw a small bird landing on the top of the wall without any alarm sounding, "no energy fields that prevent living beings to pass, unless there is a size limit for what will be allowed to move. But that recorder will be a problem though."

Pensively he watched the recorder. He could of course give it a force push and send it to the ground, but that would give away too much. There was no way that it wasn't bolted to the wall. There had to be another solution. Quietly he sat down on the solid rock and stretched his mind out towards the recorder.

Metal. Cold, hard metal, no solution there. Then there is the glass covering the lens. No. Not there either. Wires? Yes, of course there have to be wires. If I can force pull out one or more wires the transmission will cease.

A tiny little wire in the holo-recorder was pulled out by an invisible hand and the recorder died. Obi-Wan rose and in one swift motion he propelled through the air, over the wall and landed with a steady stance on the grass below.

"That was easy enough," he concluded, before jogging away from the site. But before leaving he tried to hide two unusually deep imprints of boots in the ground. It wouldn't stand a close examination, but hopefully it wouldn't catch anyone's immediate interest either.

Soon he could hear voices approaching. His little exercise with the recorder had been noticed. Good. At least the Organa family had guards that didn't sleep on duty. And furthermore, two guards less to worry about in the castle. Quietly he snuck through the gardens surrounding the castle, trying to keep himself in the shadows of the bushes as much as possible. He managed to get over the lighted area outside the building and hunched up by the stairs leading to the veranda outside the building. Carefully he peeked up. No guards so far. Good thing.

He waited patiently for some minutes and then peeked up once more. Still nobody to see and the garden lay quiet and peaceful behind him. Silently he tiptoed up the stairs. The curtains were covering the glass door, but there was a tiny opening between them where he could see light seeping out from the room within. The tableau inside was so peaceful that he almost felt a lump forming in his throat. A brown haired woman was sitting in a chair, bottle feeding a dark haired baby. The smile on the woman's face was soft and tender. It had to be Queen Organa and little Leia. He clipped the lightsaber to his belt and pulled his robe aside, hoping that the woman inside would recognize him as a jedi. It was a chance to take but he was almost certain that she would accept his presence once she knew who the intruder was.

Calmly he opened the door and entered the room.


	15. A Rebellion is Born

The woman in the chair startled as he entered, but she didn't scream. He quickly knelt down on one knee, trying to look as little intimidating as possible.

"Do not fear, I have no intentions of harming neither you nor the child," he said quietly, "but yet I would appreciate if you don't call your guards."

Breha Organa was no coward so when she realized there was no immediate anger she calmed down again.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Uh-oh, that's a tricky one. I'd rather not say that yet, but since she's asking such a direct question I cannot lie to her. Bail is an honorable man, and hopefully his wife follows the same code of honor. I will have to trust her.

"I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Your Highness, and I'm afraid I must ask for a favor."

"Kenobi? You're alive? My husband has told me so much about you. Oh, please come and sit down, and pull the curtains so they cover the window. My guards are trustworthy, but I assume it's better if you're not seen by anyone?"

He bowed his head slightly: "Thank you, Your Highness. I appreciate that. I'd rather be…incognito for the moment being, It seems wiser that way."

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, being Jedi is not a favorable situation for the moment. What is it you want from me?"

"I would appreciate some kind of transport to Coruscant. As discreet as possible, I think. I will of course disappear immediately after arrival. The last thing I want to do is putting you in danger, but public transports to Coruscant may be thoroughly inspected upon arrival and I'd rather not be discovered by the authorities."

"That can be arranged, I think. Bail is returning tomorrow and his ship has at least a minimum of diplomatic immunity. If you are able to sneak away as soon as it is on ground, I think that may be the best solution."

Obi-Wan gaped: "Is Bail here? Now?"

Breha nodded again: "He is. If you trust me, Master Jedi, I will comm him and ask him to come here. I'm sure he would be glad to meet you again."

"Please do that," Obi-Wan agreed.

She grabbed the comm link that was laying on the table beside her and a moment later she'd got the connection: "Bail, could you please come down to the green room for a moment? No, everything is fine, there's just something I would like to show you."

She closed the comm and looked up at Obi-Wan, with a sparkle of humor in her brown eyes: "I'm sorry for referring to you as a 'something', Master Kenobi, but under the circumstances I thought that mentioning your name on a comm wouldn't be the best idea."

He smiled gratefully at her and sat down.

"No, I think I prefer being mentioned as 'something' right now. It may be healthier in the long run."

The door opened and Bail Organa entered the room. For a moment he froze in shock when he recognized his old friend, then he closed the door quickly behind him and bowed.

"Obi-Wan, by all Mutanda's moons, what are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

"I'm…in transfer, so to speak," Obi-Wan explained, "I would have avoided coming here, but I need to get to Coruscant, and I assume the public transports are less than friendly towards my kind right now, so I wanted to ask for your assistance on the last leg of my journey. If that cannot be done without too much risk for you, I will seek other ways of transportation, of course."

"My ship still has some diplomatic immunity so it will not be examined thoroughly upon arrival. However, you will have to find a way to sneak out by yourself. We're only allowed to disembark by foot and since it's a cruiser I don't carry boxes in which you can hide."

"I believe I can get out unnoticed," Obi-Wan confirmed.

"You are welcome to stay overnight and have dinner with us tonight," Breha interjected, "and don't worry about the staff. I will ask them to make a guest room ready for you and then leave it undisturbed. They understand that there sometimes is a need for discretion. And, by the way, the same rules go for dinner. There will be no other but us there."

"It is very kind of you, Your Highness. I appreciate your hospitality and will gladly accept the invitation."

….

The Queen had kept her word. When Obi-Wan came to dinner there were none but his two hosts present. Candles were lit and soft shadows danced over the dining table. While awaiting dinner he had literally been soaked in luxury, or more precise a bath. After months in the Tatooinian desert he hadn't been able to resist the bath tub in his private bath.

The conversation flew easily between the three during the first part of the dinner, but when they came to the dessert the topic was changed.

"Do not feel obliged to answer, Obi-Wan, but I cannot help wonder about the business you have on Coruscant. I would think that that would be a place most jedi would stay away from right now? Much have changed in the months since we said goodbye, and I'm sorry to say it hasn't changed for the better."

"I would've guessed that much," Obi-Wan answered dryly.

Bail continued: "The Emperor is still gathering even more power than he did before…well, before. He is gathering an even larger army. Now it's not only clones. They are also enrolling normal people, and with that I mean humans. It's worrying, to say the least. Additionally he has this 'Lord Vader' figure who nobody knows where comes from, and now Vader is gathering a corps that is called the Inquisitors, who has a mandate to hunt down every surviving jedi in the Empire."

Obi-Wan merely nodded and steepled his fingers in a way that would have been worthy of Mace Windu. "I heard about it in the holonews. How does people react?"

"They are terrified and tries to stay out of trouble. I don't think anyone would like to get in the way of the Emperor's stormtroopers. It's not much better in the Senate, I'm afraid. The Senators worry about themselves and their homeworlds, probably with good reason. There are a few of us, mostly the remaining from the former 'Delegation of 2000' who try to talk reason into the others but. you know the Senate. It's even worse now for single voices to be heard."

Obi-Wan gazed at his friend, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and empathy. "How did it come to this? How did we let it happen? Why didn't we realize what was about to be?"

"The jedi should have sensed the Sith, that's correct, but we failed too. The Senate is consisting of more than two thousand representatives, and we should in the name of democracy have been able to avoid this disaster, but we didn't."

The two men quietened for a while, then Breha looked encouraging at her husband. "Tell him. You can trust him. I feel it."

"Tell what?" Obi-Wan straightened in his chair.

Bail wrinkled his brow. He seemed to be in deep thoughts.

"There may be…another solution." He became quiet again.

Obi-Wan said nothing, just sat waiting. Whatever the other man intended to say, it was difficult for him.

"There are…a few of us…we think that maybe the only way to restore the republic would be to fight the Empire."

A new silence followed. Obi-Wan felt a sharp punch as if the Force itself had kicked his leg. This had to be it. This had to be the reason why he had felt the urge to leave Tatooine, and he didn't like it a bit.

"You mean war?" He shook his head violently. "No, you cannot mean that. Don't you remember the clone wars? It's less than year ago. We were all a part of it and we all just longed for peace. This galaxy cannot live through another war like that. How can you even think of that?"

Bail looked up, surprised. He had hardly ever seen his friend in such a state of mind before.

"I don't want war more than you do, Obi-Wan, it's just that…this time I truly don't think the galaxy can become normal again through mere negotiations. During the clone wars it was at least a theoretical possibility, but not this time. Think about it, the Emperor is a despot, and he will not negotiate anything that makes him lose power. I saw you on Zigoola, Obi-Wan, I have seen what some sith artifacts can do, I have no illusion that a real sith will lead the galaxy into a period of peace and prosperity. I fear that the suffering will only increase, for all."

"I know. I know you're probably right," Obi-Wan whispered.

"So what we're trying to do," Bail continued,"is gathering an group of people who will be willing to fight the stormtroopers if or when that day comes that it is necessary to do so. I will not tell you who 'we' are, but you would be more than welcome should you chose to join us. Your talent for tactical dispositions would be of tremendous value to us."

I cannot do this, not again. I cannot live through all the suffering a war will lead to. There are no winners, only losers, and the innocents will be the biggest losers of all. And yet, how can I not? Bringing Luke and Leia out of the Emperors sight will only help that much. They are children. They need time to grow and get strong, but even when that time comes they can only do so much. They simply cannot defeat the entire Empire alone, force sensitive or not. They will need to have allies, strong allies.

He closed his eyes for a moment. Stretching out to the Force, feeling it. It felt reluctant somehow, and still urging him not to withdraw. Not totally. Somehow he got a limited encouragement. He opened his eyes again.

"I know you're right, Bail, as much as I hate to admit it. If there is a way I can help without revealing my existence, I will do so. I cannot again become a full time general in the front lines of a rebellion, you know I have other obligations now as well."

Bail nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right. We cannot fight a full scale war, and we don't have troops that you could lead anyway. At least not for the moment being, but if you could offer your strategical insight it would be valuable. There must be a way that you can communicate with us from your hiding without being detected by the Empire. Let me check it out with my co-workers. Maybe they can figure out something. I will let you know when, or if,we find something. I will leave a message in Dex' Diner for you within a week or so, if we find some communication that would do the trick."

"Dex?" Obi-Wan's eyes widened,"is he still in business?"

Bail couldn't bare himself from laughing a mirthless laughter. "Oh, very much so. The old scoundrel claims that he's not into politics. He's into food. So far nobody suspects him of anything else. There are so much people frequenting his place that it would be hard to know where to start looking for the Emperors people. They don't volunteer to go to those parts of the city."

Obi-Wan smiled. It felt good that his old friend at least for the moment was safe and still going strong. He knew now that there had been a reason for his travel to Coruscant. There were still people who needed him. There was still a duty to perform. Not entirely the same duty he had foreseen when he left for Tatooine those months ago, but a duty nonetheless.

There would be a rebellion, and he would somehow be a part of it. He could feel it, just as certain as he felt the Force's quiet accept of what he was going to be a part of. But this was not all. He would still have to go to Coruscant. The Force seemed to be very persistent in it's demand of it.


	16. Out and Away

Coruscant, the capital of the galaxy. A city planet where no wasteland is to be found, no green forests or blue lakes as far as the eye can see. Just sparkling lights, tall constructions and in it's own way a both breathtaking and slightly scary sight. A memorial over mankind's destruction of nature and still vibrant and full of life.

To Obi-Wan it had been home for most of his 38 standard years of living. Now…it wasn't. The slightly depressive thought struck him as soon as Bail Organa's small cruiser entered orbit. There was no Temple anymore, but even worse - the republic he had vowed to protect wasn't anymore. Where he previously had sensed the feeling of homecoming as something almost physical, he now felt a void. An almost unbearable emptiness filled him as he thought of his friends, lost in a meaningless attack to the Temple and all over the galaxy.

But so be it. For the moment he had other problems to face, one of the most important was how to get off the cruiser without being noticed. During the travel in hyperspace he had interrogated Bail about the security functions and routines in Coruscant Spaceport and alas, it had not lessened since the republic's days. There would be imperial stormtroopers guarding every level of the spaceport and especially the exits were heavily guarded. Arriving the planet would be easy, leaving the ship not so much. Bail had suggested that he should simply act as if he belonged to the senator's crew. Obi-Wan pondered the suggestion and turned it down. It would be too dangerous for his friend. There had to be another way.

In older days he would simply have fought his way out if needed be, but for the moment the use of a lightsaber would not be the most discreet action he could choose. Thus fighting was not a part of the plan unless he really, really had to. Except, of course, that there wasn't really any there were the ventilation shafts. But again, he had to find one that was big enough. He'd had his fair share of climbing ventilation shafts and tubes as a padawan, but he had grown and he didn't really fancy the thought of being caught stuck in a tube. That would simply be embarrassing. The final solution was the most frequently used one in his career, imprinted in him by Qui-Gon through many long years of apprenticeship: "A solution will present itself."

The landing procedure went swiftly, as could be expected when the ship belonged to one of the Empire's Senators, and soon it was placed safely on the docking platform.

"Are you absolutely certain you won't try to get out as a part of my crew," Bail asked for the third time during the journey. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"No, I don't want to endanger you, and it's important that nobody is suspecting a connection between us. I will hide in the ship and sneak out when I get an opportunity. Don't worry, I'll figure out something."

"If you say so," Bail sighed. "May the Force be with you, my friend."

The cabin became dark and quiet when Organa and his people disembarked. Obi-Wan could see them pass through the platform exit and then only the guards by the exit was left, meticulously staying out of sight for the guards and any deliberate bypassers. There had to be a change of guards some time, maybe that would give him a chance.

It didn't. Instead the number of troopers doubled for a while during the change. Not good. If only he could create a diversionary, but that seemed too complicated to perform from within the ship. There had to be another way. Hours passed and the troopers were steadily on their post, mostly facing out towards the landing platform. The daylight began to fade and dusk was setting in. Obi-Wan waited patiently. As the evening gradually became darker a plan began to form in his head. There was actually something he could do, it would be risky but the possibility of success was there unless he killed himself in the attempt. He turned his attention outwards towards the Coruscanti skyline. Small red and white lights were passing by in a variety of speeds. There was a life outside the spaceport and that included various kinds of speeders passing by several levels below. The chance was good that he would hit one of those if he simply jumped off the platform and let himself fall. The plan had some drawbacks though. The most severe one was of course that there might be a lack of speeders below him in the crucial moment. He had survived jumping out from a window in 500 Republica and then clinging to a surveillance droid until he fell off, and then he landed safely in the speeder Anakin had "borrowed". Right now he did not have any surveillance droids to trust in, and Anakin coming to rescue was definitely out of question.

"If Anakin saw me do that now, he would probably take an evasive maneuver," he thought dryly.

Another problem was that the speeders weren't allowed to come too close to the spaceport so there were many, far too many, levels without traffic below this landing pad and even though the Force would protect him somewhat in the landing, it could only help so much. If he, Force forbid, fell down to the lower levels where traffic was more dense it was doubtful if he could slow the speed so much that he wasn't instantly killed when landing in a speeder. And then there was the possibility that a bypassing speeder would hit him, before he could land in one.

The plan obviously had potential for improvement.

The improvement came as a, literally spoken, sparking idea. As the darkness fell Obi-Wan had figured out his diversion. He knelt down by the ships exit hatch and stretched out into the force. The spaceport was an intricate construction of landing pads, waiting areas, docks and gates and, as in any other public installation it was filled with security equipment. Fire alarms included. Once again he stretched out with the force, seeking, feeling, following the flow, trying to see the unseen. Then he felt it, two levels down - an old fashioned button in a hallway away from the public areas. Again he felt it's wiring, felt the metalloid plate that would connect the two wires if the button was pushed and the plate was pushed down.

Alarms, blinking lights all over the place.

"Evacuate level, evacuate level"

The metallic voice from the loudspeaker rang through the air even higher than the alarms themselves and the guards by the entrance turned towards the public area inside the building. Quick as a lightening Obi-Wan opened the exit hatch, jumped out and closed it again. The first part of the plan had worked well. He crouched and ran over to the edge of the landing platform hiding behind a small ship that was parked near the abyss.

And there they came. Rescue crew vehicles piled up outside the landing pad two levels down. Obi-Wan gathered the force around him and jumped, landing with a soft 'thud' on the roof of one vehicle.

"Good," he muttered to himself.

Quickly he crawled down the sidewall of the rescue speeder so that he couldn't be seen from the platform and entered the empty vehicle. The next part would be the more dangerous one. He released the machine from the dock and let it drop without starting the engine. Hopefully any prying eyes would believe that something had failed in the docking and that the empty vehicle simply fell. Which it actually did for the moment.

Down. Down. Down. Then he felt the traffic around him increasing and speeders took frantic evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit by the falling ship. Obi-Wan started the engine. For a moment it seemed like it wouldn't ignite but after a few attempts he succeeded. He grabbed the controls and zig-zag'ed through the increasing traffic following a slightly sloped curve further down.

He switched off the engine again immediately before his planned end station was reached. If the ship crashed it could be suspected that someone had been piloting it, but it would certainly be more difficult to prove. Then he opened the hatch and jumped out. As the vehicle crashed into the wall of one of the remaining buildings in The Works, he rapidly disappeared into the shadows. Now was the time to leave as much distance between himself and the crash site as possible. Someone would definitely be interested in what had happened, and he felt no urge to meet that 'someone' face to face.

The Works was a long time abandoned industrial area not far from the Senate District. Most of it's industry and workshops had been closed down for centuries, and yet the area wasn't totally empty. The empty buildings had to some extent been taken over by the living beings that inhabited the Coruscanti underworld. Smugglers, thieves, squatters and others that found it best to avoid the more civilized inhabitants of the upper levels of the city planet.

"Just like me," Obi-Wan thought sarcastically as he moved stealthily through the somber area. He might even find a hideout here if he needed one. But first he had a visit to make.

It took him a while to find his way to Dex's Diner. Not because he didn't know where to go, but every once in a while he had to merge into the shadows when some stormtroopers passed by. Obviously the Empire wasn't only stretching out, but downwards too. When the republic existed the law enforcement in this area had been quite modest, and guards hadn't been seen very frequently. However, there still weren't too many patrols out so he could walk decent distances without having to hide. It was past midnight when he finally came to Dex's. The place was closed for the night and the windows that used to be brightly illuminated in the opening hours were dark. Well, that was to be expected. Not even Dex worked day and night. Obi-Wan climbed easily over the fence encircling the diner's backyard and dropped himself quietly down to the ground, carefully avoiding the trash dumpsters which were lined up along the fence.

He was pondering whether he should try some good old facade climbing to get to Dex's apartment above the diner, or if he should actually knock on the door and hope to be let in in an ordinary way when he saw a tiny strip of light coming from below the back door. From previous experience he knew that the door led to the diner's storage area where all kinds of groceries were stored. Someone was working late, that much was clear.


	17. Old Friends

Obi-Wan walked quietly towards the door while he tried to sense the being inside if there were any. He was almost just outside the door when it opened. Quickly he hid behind a dumpster. A person came out. Alone.

Dexter Jettster had always been a large man, even for one of his species, particularly around his circumference. He had not diminished one single bit through the last couple of years. He stopped right outside the door and practically sniffed in the air, as if to smell if someone was lurking in the shadows. Obi-Wan stood up and stepped forward.

"Good evening, old friend," he said quietly.

"What? But…whatareyoudoinghere?" The besalisk spoke so fast that one word could hardly be distinguished from the next.

"You're alive," he added, quite superfluously.

The next Obi-Wan noticed was that he was pulled into a very fierce, four armed hug which almost squeezed the breath out of him. Fortunately Dex ended the hug before he fell to the ground.

"Apparently so," he remarked, "it's good to see you again Dex."

"Hurry, follow me inside. I have a feeling that it wouldn't be good for you if you were spotted here," the Besalisk urged. "Besides, it wouldn't be good for me either."

Obi-Wan grinned. He had really missed Dex's straightforward communication. Actually, he had missed communication.

The door closed behind them and as Obi-Wan had already figured out the room was a storeroom for all kinds of ingredients for the Basilisk's diner. However, something was clearly amiss because his friend seemed to be packing things in boxes and sacks instead of packing out, which was to be expected in a room like this. Obi-Wan stroked his beard pensively.

"Aren't you doing this the wrong way?" he asked.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I would have expected you to unpack the boxes, not pack them…"

Dex just looked at him, but didn't answer. He just pointed to the door. "The stairs up to my apartment is out that door."

Obi-Wan decided not to pursue the box question. After all, these were troubled times and there might be many reasons for the besalisk's whereabouts. Instead he mounted the stairs to the apartment.

The place was as untidy as ever. But it was fairly clean. It seemed like the forced cleanliness in the diner had worn off to Dex's private rooms as well. Well, according to what he remembered from earlier day's visits it was much needed.

"Find somewhere to sit," Dex ordered. "I'll find you some food and tea."

The huge being stomped down the stairs again with much huffing and puffing, returning some minutes later with a fully loaded plate. He sat it down in front of Obi-Wan and continued into the kitchen.

"Dig in, you haven't been in for my bantha burger for years," he shouted. Obi-Wan could hear him rummaging in shelves and drawers and then he heard the sizzling of a boiling water kettle. As soon as his friend was well cared for, Dex settled in a huge armchair.

"Now, again, what are you doing here? I reckon you are aware that jedi aren't the most popular beings in our glorious new Empire," Dex asked, with more than a little hint of sarcasm.

"I have noticed," Obi-Wan retorted dryly. "Believe it or not."

Then he told his old friend the entire story of what had happened to him throughout the last months. The only thing he left out was the part about Padme giving birth and the exact location of his own hideout. He knew that the besalisk would understand the latter and there really was no need to tell him about the twins. The less people who knew about that, the better.

When Obi-Wan finished his story Dex seemed to be in deep thoughts. Finally he looked up.

"I see. But I still don't understand why you have come back here? You're always welcome, my friend, but it would be safer for you to stay off planet. The Emperor and his acolytes are very energetic in their hunt for surviving Jedi. The Emperor has got himself a next in command in that matter, -a large black humanoid called Vader. He is amidst forming a corps of jedi hunters which they for some reason call 'The Inquisitors. Rumor says that these are former Jedi."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I know, and frankly I have no other explanation than the old one - the Force urged me to come back. On my way here I met an old friend and he advised me to go to your place, ensuring me that you still know pretty much of what's going on in the galaxy."

The room silenced for a while.

"May I guess who your friend is?"

"You may. But I won't necessarily answer directly," Obi-Wan retorted, "but he said he would leave a message for me here within some days."

"Ah, that friend…"

"Does that mean that more of my friends are frequent visitors here?" Obi-Wan asked. He sensed that something lay behind Dex's answer, indicating that there could be more than one old acquaintance appearing every once in a while. He wondered who the other - or others- might be.

"Could be," the besalisk answered reluctantly. "There may be someone who would like to know you're here, alive and well. I will have to check that out with some of my contacts, though. You're welcome to stay here over night, and a couple of days more, if you like, but I think it would be a good idea if you kept out of sight for prying eyes. And, if there comes a razzia, the best exit is through the window and up on the roof. It's quite easy to get over to the neighboring buildings from up there. "

"I appreciate your concern. However, if one of these 'friends of mine' should happen to be Anakin, I'd rather stay incognito for the moment," Obi-Wan said.

"Anakin? That little apprentice of yours? Nah, haven't seen him here for ages," Dex stated with a slight undertone of disdain in his voice. "Now, if you want to get some sleep, feel free to use the couch. You find blankets in the closet over there. I will have to communicate with some of my acquaintances and I' d rather avoid you listening in, if you know what I mean."

Obi-Wan nodded. Caution was a virtue these days and he appreciated his friend's discretion. That would go in both directions so his own presence wouldn't be revealed easily either. Soon after he was wrapped in a blanket and sound asleep on the couch.

The next morning he woke to the smell of newly brewed caf coming from the apartment's kitchen. He got up and peeked into the room. It wasn't very big so it was nearly filled by the besalisk's rather voluminous body as he was preparing breakfast. Four arms certainly could come in handy sometimes, Obi-Wan mused.

"Good morning, my friend. You slept well, I think?" The greeting was more of a statement than a question.

"Thank you. Yes I did indeed."

While they were consuming the actually very tasteful breakfast consisting of omelette and bread, Dex spoke again.

"I had a little chat with some friends of yours last evening and they are eager to meet you. However, they prefer not appearing in daylight so you will have to wait here until the evening. They intend to send a courier to meet you here, and he will take you to them."

"Who are 'they'?" Obi-Wan asked, feeling more than a little curious. Both as a padawan and as a knight he hadn't really had time to get many friends outside the Temple. Astri and Didi Oddo were two of them, but as far as he knew they had been off planet for years, and would not likely have come back now. He had already met Bail, Padme was dead and Dex was sitting right in front of him on the opposite side of the table. As far as he knew he hadn't had any other friends besides his own colleagues.

He simply didn't have a clue who this, or these, friends might be.

Dex just looked at him, and then burst into laugher.

"You think I will tell you, old friend? No, I won't. They will tell you when you meet them, but it's not up to me to tell. It is not my business to reveal them to you, or you to them for that matter."

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. Discretion was a virtue and a necessity nowadays. He would just have to wait. But there was one thing he possibly could ask…

"How will the courier know I'm me, if you won't tell anything?"

"Oh, he will know," the besalisk answered. "And so will you."

Obi-Wan stretched out on the couch again. It there were one thing he had learned during the clone wars, it was to rest when he had a chance, and the night to come would most certain be interesting.


	18. Netherworld

It was late evening when the courier arrived. Obi-Wan was still resting in Dex's apartment, listening to the noise from the busy diner downstairs. Occasionally he could hear swearing in various languages and then Dex's booming voice before the noise settled again. There were very few people who wanted to get into an argument with the besalisk so when he spoke, they usually calmed down again.

After hours of waiting he could hear Dex walking up the stairs. The door opened and Dex peeked inside.

"Now is the time. The courier who will take you to your friends has arrived. You will find him in the backyard. He will know it is you when you go out the door you came in last night. This time Obi-Wan knew better than asking questions.

"Thank you my friend."

"It was a pleasure, as always," the besalisk retorted. "I will let you know when the message from your …eh… other friend arrives. But go now. We will meet again."

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan greeted. Then he gathered the robe around him and pulled the cowl over his head, before he stealthily climbed down the croaking staircase. The darkness in in the yard was almost impenetrable to human eyes and Obi-Wan wondered if the clever besalisk had done that on purpose. But where was the courier? The backyard seemed totally empty. Slowly his eyes adapted to the darkness, but still the square space seemed totally still. Weird? Had the courier disappeared for some reason, and if so, why? He couldn't sense any immediate danger but maybe his mysterious friend had.

Then a small figure emerged from behind one of the containers which were lined up by the fence. He, or she, or whatever it was seemed to be humanoid with two legs and presumably two arms as well, but it was hard to see really, as the being was wrapped in a dark cloak, suspiciously similar to a Jedi robe.

"Master, please come with me. Quickly."

The being was impeccable polite and Obi-Wan even believed he saw him giving a slight bow. But, 'Master'? He didn't recognize the small being at all, but somehow he (or she?) must have recognized him. Quickly he followed the being behind the container. Two planks were lifted up and they squeezed themselves through the fence. Obi-Wan with some more difficulty compared to his smaller companion.

The alley behind Dex's Diner was almost empty. A few deathstick addicts were passing by, rather groggy, but nobody really took notice of the two. Then the courier turned right and went towards an abandoned building, an empty one by the look of it. Obi-Wan followed suit.

"We need to get down some levels, and this is the quicker route," the guide explained.

The building still had a working turbolift so they were able to swiftly descend several levels before they exited the building again. They came out on one of the more shady levels, literally spoken. Deep down in Coruscant the villains of this multifaceted society were living. The thieves, the robbers, the murderers, and those were the most pleasant of the inhabitants. The good thing was that hardly any stormtroopers were frequenting this area and if they occurred they were there just for short raids and in larger, not widely scattered groups. Good thing. Obi-Wan could very well live without meeting any of those for the moment. The two continued several blocks straight ahead before they turned sharply to the right again. Even though Obi-Wan was not unfamiliar to Coruscant's netherworld, this was an area he hadn't been to before. It seemed more grey, more dull, more…worn than the more populated areas of this level. Somehow it seemed almost like the inhabitants avoided it for some reason. And yet, some of the buildings seemed to have a life on their own. Still working droids were buzzing and rattling back and forth and in some of the buildings elevators were still working so they could easily ascend and descent between the city's levels.

He did some quick calculations of the distances they had gone and the levels they had been moving on. If his navigations skills hadn't totally deteriorated, they were heading towards the are where the Jedi Temple once had been standing.

Are we really going to the Temple? No, it cannot be. I saw it from Bail's ship and I saw it when Yoda and I walked the halls to find the security holo and reverse the transmission ordering all Jedi to return to the Temple. There isn't a temple anymore. All those months ago it still was possible to enter, but from what I could see when we were approaching Coruscant Spaceport it's nearly just a pile of stones now. A ruin. Two of the spires have fallen and the third one seemed to be almost totally demolished. The only part that still seemed to be quite solid was actually the main tower where the Council had it's chamber. Apart from that I could see large holes in the roof and some of the walls had given in as a result of the bombing the clones performed. So weird. It's only a year since it was full of breathing living beings. Well, maybe not full of - we were so few by then, as many had been killed in the clone wars, but still - it was alive, it was home. And now there's nothing left. Just a heap of stones. That's the only thing that's left after a thousand years or so. So sad, so incredibly sad. We should have known, but we didn't see it coming.

He woke from his reveries when he realized that the ground below his feet actually was sloping a bit. What? The walkways of Coruscant hardly ever did that. There were turbolifts and some places even stairs, but never sloped ground except when entering a building or a platform. This was neither. As far as he could judge he was actually setting his feet on the ground. The ground as in soil, the planet's surface. He stopped abruptly in pure astonishment. This was impossible. He'd never even heard about anyone who had actually set their foot on Coruscanti ground. Nevertheless, that was what he was doing in this very moment.

His guide had obviously realized that he was about to lose his companion so he stopped abruptly as well.

"Master, please come with me."

Again the same phrase as he had used in Dex's backyard. Obi-Wan nodded, but didn't move.

"I will, but I guess it's time for a presentation. Who are you, and where are you taking me? And how did you know who i was? When we left it was neither time nor place for questions, but right now nobody is nearby so I think it's about time you tell me a little bit of where we're heading and who we're going to meet."

The small figure stood still, obviously pondering his question and whether it could be answered or not. Then he bowed politely.

"Yes, Master Kenobi, I guess you can be trusted with that now. Dex is an honorable man, so I assume he hasn't been mistaken when assuming that you won't betray us."

The being turned around and let the cowl fall and revealed two distinct cranial horns, a pointed chin and a straight nose. Obviously it was a young Iktotchi.

"I am Ramen Siin," the youngling presented himself, "you probably don't know me, but I was an initiate when the Temple was attacked. I had hoped to be accepted as a padawan before the year had come to an end. Now it's too late, and I'm serving as a scout and courier."

"Serving who, and for what?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously, "Are there more survivors? Who? How many? And how did you survive? I saw the safety recordings myself. Hardly anyone could have survived that attack."

"There are survivors," Ramen confirmed, "and I'm taking you to them. They will, however, present themselves. It's not up to me to tell. They are very interested in meeting you and I'm sure they will tell you all about what happened, but for now, I am merely your guide to our…new home."

Obi-Wan nodded in acceptance. The boy was right, it was not up to him to reveal the identity of whoever the survivors may be. They would probably introduce themselves in due time.

"Very well, Initiate Siin, lead the way to our final destination, then."

Ramen lead them up the slightly sloped ground until they came to a slab laying on the ground. Then the boy stopped. For a moment he stood still and Obi-Wan could feel the Force gathering around the youngling. The slab rose from the ground.

"There is a ladder going down the wall of the shaft. Please follow that down to the bottom and wait for me there."

Obi-Wan did as he was told. The boy had a remarkable talent for wielding the Force in the way of telekinesis. Holding the slab still while he was climbing down the upper part of the ladder was really impressive when performed by such a young one. As soon as the boy was below ground level, the slab was carefully lowered back in place. The shaft turned pitch black. The climb wasn't very long and soon Obi-Wan could feel solid rock under his boots again. He stepped aside to make space for Ramen. The Iktotchi were a rather solid built species so he could very well live without the boy landing on his head.

A pale light lit up in the boy's hand. A glow stick.

"I'm quite familiar with this route," Ramen explained, "but still it's easier with a glow stick."

Obi-Wan nodded. The glow stick itself told him that they were now out of immediate danger of being detected. Obviously no enemies were expected down here. They continued to walk along a nearly horizontal shaft. Ever now and then it sloped, either upwards or downwards for a smaller distance but then it became horizontal again. The floor was even and the boy kept up a good pace. The first part of the shaft had smooth walls which obviously had been created and smoothed by nature itself in a distant past, but after a while he could see the walls changed character, now being formed by living beings. Huge almost square stones were forming the ceiling and walls.

"What is this place?" Obi-Wan said quietly. Somehow this place called for a muted voice. He couldn't sense any danger per se, it was more like it was… sacred.

"You may call it an emergency exit," Ramen answered."It was probably built thousands of years ago as an escape route and it has been long time forgotten when we discovered it by coincidence. Now, it's one of several entrances."

Obi-Wan didn't even bother to ask 'whereto'. The boy seemed to have a strong sense of what to tell, or not tell. He'd better be patient.

Suddenly they came to a full stop. Large rocks were piled up in front of them. It seemed like stones had fallen from the ceiling and blocked the corridor completely. Actually the stones seemed to have somehow penetrated the ceiling. Of course, they were below the Jedi Temple. The debris in front of them had to be piles of the solid walls that once surrounded the Temple, or maybe more like it, it would be debris from one of the falling towers. If he were to guess, it would be the remainders of the south spire that lay before them now.

The boy had become totally still and Obi-Wan watched him with astonishment. This was no place for meditation, indeed. Then he understood. The boy wasn't meditating - he was communicating with someone on the other side of the heap of stones. Yes, of course. The Iktotchi were well known for their telepathic skills. Clever, absolutely clever. There was no way that such a young boy could move the huge stones by himself but if there were more Force sensitive beings inside they could most certainly do it. How very convenient. He could bet that the one, or at least one of them, on the other side was an Iktotchi too.

A huge slab slowly levitated from the floor and his suspicions were confirmed. The boy slid under the slab and Obi-Wan followed him quickly. The stones dropped to the floor again. Very quietly, very controlled. Two beings stood in front of them. As he had guessed one of them was an older Iktotchi, the other was a Devaronian.

"Welcome, Master Kenobi," the Iktotchi greeted him,"it's a pleasure to see you here, alive and well."

"Master Jaa," Obi-Wan exclaimed, "it's good to see you again. And you as well. "

He bowed politely to the two jedi, even though he couldn't remember the name of the Devaronian.

"Please follow us," the Devaronian requested. "The gate is closed so there's no need for us here right now. Nobody else will go out tonight, we only asked Ramen here to go out to find you when we got the message that you had appeared in Dex's Diner."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow sardonically. 'Gate', huh? Well, since the huge pile of stones actually was possible to enter through, it could be called a gate, he guessed.

"Are there more Jedi in this facility, and while we're at it - where is 'here'?" he asked curiously.

"Don't you know?" the Iktotchi asked, "Didn't you recognize the debris out there?"

"I guessed it must have been the remainders of the south spire, so from that we should be in the Temple somewhere, but I had never expected to find Jedi here and besides, we're so deep that we actually must be below the Temple. Out there I was actually treading on soil for a while, and that is not something which is easily done on Coruscant."

The Iktotchi nodded. "Good observation, Master Kenobi, but I would have expected no less from you. We're actually below the Temple we knew, but yet still in the Temple. Can't you feel the Force is strong here?"

"It certainly is, and I assume that's a reason why so few of the inhabitants of this level could be seen nearby? They find it rather…uncomfortable?"

The corridor opened up into a larger space and Obi-Wan could see other corridors leading out from the large room. The chamber seemed to be some kind of a hub in the construction. If he weren't totally mistaken they would now be far below the Grand Hall of the Jedi Temple. It seemed somehow like the Temple he'd known was mirroring this basement in construction, and yet, this was no ordinary basement. The floor was covered with tiles in an intricate mosaic pattern, and suddenly he understood.

"The Bendu Temple," he gasped,"we are in the Bendu Temple? I thought it was only a myth that there were remainders of that below our Temple, but here it actually is? Right?"

"Very well done," the Devaronian praised,"you're absolutely right. This is the old Temple of the Bendu. It was not very well known by any living jedi that it was real, and that it was hidden below the Temple's basement, but here it is. We have, literally spoken, returned to our roots. But now, Master Kenobi, I must ask you to wait here. There is an old friend who have been awaiting you with anticipation, we just weren't sure of when you would arrive, so I'll go find him. Master Jaa has other duties to tend to. You are of course allowed to move freely down here, but it would be appreciated if you could stay in this room for a while. We realized very quickly that there are so many rooms and corridors down here, that it might take some time to find you again if you wandered off."

Obi-Wan bowed. "I will stay put."


	19. Dead Man Walking

The two jedi disappeared down one of the numerous corridors and Obi-Wan was left alone. "Who would have thought that there existed an ancient temple right beneath our feet?" he wondered. the room, no, hall, he was waiting in was impressive. The ceiling was supported by numerous tall columns, and way up there he could see that even the ceiling had an intricate mosaic pattern. The hall was too dark so he couldn't see the details but he guessed as much that it must have been impressive when this temple actually was up in open air, before the numerous layers of buildings had been erected upon it. The pattern in the walls was easier to see. It was made up of stylized trees and flowers. One field of the wall was showing a tranquil lake landscape, others showed rolling hills and even a rugged mountain landscape could be seen near one corner. The Bendu had obviously had a close relationship to the nature. The pattern on the floor which first had caught his interest was totally non-figurative and showed a geometric pattern which was symmetric around a center axis. Adding some imagination made it resemble a sun with it's rays stretching out to numerous individuals gathering in a circle around the sun.

"The Force that binds all things together," Obi-Wan thought. "Yes, this may indeed be a symbol for the whole universe's unity."

He was disturbed in his reveries by the sound of boots clicking towards the tiled floor in the corridor where the two jedi had disappeared. Obviously they had found his mysterious 'old friend'. A figure came into view and Obi-Wan almost froze in astonishment. No, it couldn't be. Could it?

Yes, it could, The visitor was dressed in the same beige tunic he'd used for years, brown leggings and a white undertunic could be seen in the opening of the tunic. Dark brown boots were completing the attire. And above all this two stern brown eyes in a face that way too often seemed stony and humorless, but yet the person inside had a fine sense of humor.

"Mace?!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"Obi-Wan, it's good to see you again," Mace Windu greeted, his face as imperturbable as always, but Obi-Wan could hear genuine pleasure behind the comment.

"How…I mean…I thought…you're alive," Obi-Wan stated that his rhetorical skills had left him, at least temporarily. Then he drew a deep breath: "I thought you were killed in the purge?"

"Evidently not," Mace retorted dryly, "but it was a close call. I almost counted myself among the dead for a moment."

"What happened?" Obi-Wan knew curiosity was never suitable for a Jedi, but under the circumstances it might be excusable. He did't meet dead men too often. Or, well, if he counted in Qui-Gon, maybe it was becoming an habit.

"It's a long story," Mace began, "but I guess we have time enough for the moment being. There are some other people I'd like you to meet, but they are sleeping or busy right now, so we will have to wait until later."

"How many of you survived?" Obi-Wan asked.

"In here, as per today, 54 initiates and 11 adults, mostly very senior Masters", Mace explained. "The few who were able to defend the Temple were trying to do just that. But the clone troopers were overwhelming in numbers, so the defenders were defeated at last."

The two men silenced for a moment, contemplating the huge loss of lives the Sith take over had caused, both during the clone wars and the succeeding jedi purge. Almost the entire order was extinct, and then there were innocent civilians throughout the galaxy as well.

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked quietly. "I saw the recordings from the Temple entrance but I don't know all of what happened. Master Yoda and I came to the Temple and managed to change the signal which was calling all Jedi back to the Temple. After that we set off to try to stop Anakin and Palpatine. Obviously we failed spectacularly."

Mace nodded. "Yoda is alive too? That's really good news."

"He is," Obi-Wan confirmed, "but he is in hiding, as I was supposed to be. But then the Force bade meg to go back to the Temple and here I am. I didn't have any idea why I should go here, though, but now I can see that there might have been a reason. However, I should have noticed that there were other force sensitive beings nearby when Yoda and I came to the Temple. How come we didn't?"

"The cells," Mace Windu explained. "Do you remember the cells for force sensitive prisoners that were in the basement of the Temple? We're below them and the force dampers are still functioning. Fortunately they also shield us from the upper world, and besides, only Vader, Palpatine or these newly appearing inquisitors would be able to sense us anyway. The clones can't. But we do maintain a proper shielding ourselves when we're outside the area that is protected by the cells."

"I see," Obi-Wan stroke his beard pensively. "How did you escape the purge?"

A shadow swept over Mace Windu's dark face.

"For myself, I had luck. For the others, well, you have to ask them yourself later on. When Anakin told us that Palpatine was the Sith Lord, Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto, Saesee Tin and I went to his office to arrest him. As you can imagine he resisted, quite adamantly so. We tried to arrest him peacefully, but he drew his lightsaber towards us. Agen was the first who fell to his blade, Saesee and Kit were killed mere seconds later. Kit managed to hold him off for a little while but not for long."

The Korun Master swallowed hard. Obi-Wan could see his eyes glittering suspiciously by unshed tears for a moment when he recalled how his friends and colleagues had died. Then he continued: "I managed to hold him off for a while, and I had him disarmed when Anakin entered the office. Of course I believed that Anakin would support me, but when I declared that I had to finish off the Sith, Anakin turned against me. In one moment he just stood there and claimed that Palpatine had to be brought for the Court, the next he slashed off my 'saber arm. From that moment on what happened is quite blurry to me.

The pain was terrible enough, but as if the saber cut through my arm wasn't bad enough the Sith used force lightening towards me before he force pushed me out of the transparisteel window that had been shattered earlier in the duel. In that moment I considered myself a dead man. I more or less was. The 'saber cut cauterized the arm immediately, so I didn't bleed to death, but in my semi-conscious state I was sure that the fall would kill me. It would have, of course, if I had fallen far enough. But I didn't. I'm not sure what happened, but I believe that in his triumphant mood the Sith Lord exaggerated the force push. Anyway, I was thrown so far out that I actually flew outside the traffic blocked zone that is kept around the Senate building's office wing and I fell right into an open speeder. I almost scared the poor driver to death. There he was, happily criss-crossing the traffic lanes and suddenly a half-dead jedi is dropped in the backseat of his speeder from somewhere high above. It was a miracle that we didn't crash into someone else. I was in a terrible state so for a while I was unable to answer his rather frantic questions, and we were on our way to the Temple when I came to again. I realized that going back was the last thing I should do. The Temple was in lockdown and in my present state I would be not only useless but I would demoralize the rest if there was to be an attack on the Temple. Little did I know…"

Now Obi-Wan could clearly see tears forming in his friend's eyes.

"I suppressed the pain according to my best abilities, and asked the driver to put me down somewhere else. I guess I wasn't the brightest person to be found in the galaxy in that moment, or maybe I was because it turned out quite well. I asked him to leave me in the alley behind your friend Dex's place. I remembered that Qui-Gon had mentioned him many years ago and I hoped that he would be able to help me. The moment I put my feet on the plaza I was hardly able to drag myself into the alley before I fainted. I don't know who found me. Dex told me later that 'it was just one of his friends'. He's a discreet being, your friend. The next thing I remember is that I woke up on a couch in an incredible messy room, which I later learned was his living room, and Dex nursed me back to health as if he were a giant mother hen.

It took me a couple of days of intense self-healing before I was able to think quite coherently again, and even more days before I was able to get up and around. All that time Dex took care of me. Only twice did there come a raid of clone troopers, but Dex was informed in advance and hide me. I tell you, Obi-Wan, those garbage containers in his backyard are not a pleasant hideout."

If the background for the story hadn't been so tragic, Obi-Wan would have laughed. The thought of the dignified and reserved Master Windu hiding in a garbage container was almost too much. But apart from that there was little fun in the situation, so he restrained himself. He didn't fully succeed and his mouth twitched slightly. Mace Windu cast him a suspicious glance, but said nothing.

"After some days I was considered strong enough to know the truth, and Dex told me that there had been an attack to the Temple. He didn't know how many casualties there were, but he knew it was bad because the clones had burned the corpses in an improvised funeral pyre in front of the Temple. It had lasted for two days.

I don't think I've ever felt so miserable in my entire life as I did when he told me that. I was a councillor, for Force's sake. I was the Master of the Order I should have been there with them, not laying as a useless piece of junk on Dex's couch. I don't know if I would have made a difference. I will never know… But I decided that as soon as I was strong enough I would go there and see the disaster with my own eyes. At that time I didn't know if there were any survivors anywhere. Little did I know that in the moment I returned, I would have the most unexpected company."

Obi-Wan looked up at him.

"Company? Are you telling me that there were even more stray jedi roaming the streets?"

"You could say it that way," Mace agreed, "though it's not entirely correct."

"I wasn't roaming anything," a familiar voice uttered, "I came to pick you up. Dex had informed me that you were alive."


	20. The Attack on the Temple

Obi-Wan startled by the sound of the familiar voice. It was almost as well known to him as Qui-Gon's or Anakin's had been. It was a bit deeper now, more mature, but it was unmistakably Ahsoka's.

"Ahsoka?" he exclaimed, as the Togruta stepped out from the corridor she'd been approaching from. He could hardly believe his own eyes."

"In person." The answer was uttered in her usual self confident style. "Master Obi-Wan, it's good to see you even under these circumstances. I feared that you had been killed in the purge, but I should have known better."

Her composure held only so far, and before Obi-Wan realized what was happening his former grand padawan was in his arms, hugging him hard. He could feel more than see the sobs coming from her slender frame.

"Shhh, Ahsoka, don't cry."

"I'm not crying," she protested vehemently while wiping tears off her face,"I'm not. It's just so good to see you alive."

"Maybe we should continue the catch up in a place somewhat more private?" Mace interjected. "I believe it would be good to update Master Kenobi on the last time's events, before he meets the rest of the group. I suggest that we retire to my quarters and then we can rest for a while and meet the others for the morning meal."

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka nodded in unison, both knowing very well from former days that when Mace suggested something with that mien it was wisest to follow the suggestion.

"He hasn't lost his natural authority," Obi-Wan mused."After all that's been happening, it's good to see."

Mace Windu led them through a conglomerate of corridors and entered a single room. The room was modestly furnished with a bed, a desk and a chair in front of the desk. Obi-Wan recognized the furniture as standard furnishing for the living quarters. Mace recognized the quizzical expression and explained: "We've been lending some furniture from the Temple quarters above. After a while they reduced the number of guards within the building so we were able to sneak up and bring down some necessities. He gestured to Obi-Wan to take seat on the single chair in the room, and lowered himself on the bed. Ahsoka had to make do with the floor.

"Now, what happened?" Obi-Wan demanded to hear, "I have heard how Mace survived, but how come you came to look for him?"

Ahsoka sighed and began her story. "It was mostly coincidence, actually. When I left the Order I was devastated. Being a Jedi was all I'd ever imagined to be, and finding myself on the outside was…tough. At first I didn't know where to go so I just found myself a place to sleep in the lower levels of the city. The first nights were scary, and I had to flee several times. Finally I came to a place which seemed more quiet and desolated than the rest of the lower levels, and I settled down there. I couldn't understand at first why there were so few death-stick dealers and other villains in that area but one night I realized that I felt the Force clearer there than I'd done at any place since I left the Temple. I started to investigate the area and I found the slab covering the entrance shaft which I assume you came in through this evening?"

She looked quizzically at Obi-Wan and he nodded silently.

"The following day I went to the market and I…hm…managed to get myself a glow stick. That night I removed the slab and went down to explore the shaft. At that time I believed it might have been mining activity in the area before the city grew and covered everything. I soon discovered I was wrong. I found the Grand Hall which we met in recently and I realized that I had found a hidden entrance to the old Bendu Temple.

I felt safe there, so I made myself as comfortable as I could in one of the rooms. I felt a bit bad after leaving the jedi and still seeking refugee below the Temple, but on the other hand - I had no money and no place to go. I kept briefly in touch with Dex, though. One of the first nights after I left the Order he caught me rummaging through the garbage containers in his backyard trying to find something edible there. I knew about his place from my time as padawan. He recognized me, of course, and I had to tell him the whole story of how I left the Jedi Order. At first he wanted to contact you, but he gave in when I begged him not to. But he gave me a decent meal, though. After that we kept briefly in touch. So it was mere coincidence I turned up there a week after Master Windu had been saved."

Mace Windu looked at her, sternly: "Coincidence now? "

Ashoka blushed a little. "Well, maybe not entirely, just mostly. We had become more people and we needed food so I came to ask Dex if he could set me in contact with someone who could help."

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding. Suddenly all the bags and crates he'd seen in Dex's storage room made sense. Packing, not unpacking. Of course. "I bet he didn't go far to find that "someone'?"

"He didn't." Ahsoka confirmed. "We will forever be grateful to him for all the efforts he's done to provide supplies for us. We pick them up twice a week. Well, anyway, the evening I turned up, I couldn't have been more surprised when I found Master Windu there. We all thought he'd been killed in the Chancellor's office. At that time he was well enough to walk so I asked him to join me to my…our…quarters. It wasn't safe neither for him nor Dex to let him stay there, and we needed his skills as a leader down here. So he followed me down the entrance I had found at first and met the other survivors."

"How did you get in touch with the others?" Obi-Wan asked, "And how did they find their way down here?"

Ahsoka sighed. "When the clones started the shooting I heard the noise down here. At that time I had stayed here for weeks and I had become quite familiar with the corridors and lay out of the Bendu Temple. The entrance below the stone slab is likely one of several emergency exits they had when the it was operative. Obviously there were dangerous times then as well. But there were also several ways leading up to our 'modern' Temple. There were one entrance near every spire. I assume they had been well known when the modern Temple was under construction, but then they had been forgotten during the centuries, but of course they were easier to find from down here than from the modern Temple.

So far I had stayed away from the upper levels. After all I didn't want to be an intruder in the Temple I had left, but when the grenades began to fall I wanted to know what was going on. I hurried up to the surface and and managed to get so high that I could see the Temple from a distance. The eastern and western tower had already fallen and I could see smoke and flames rising. I didn't have a clue what was going on, but I realized that much that there was an attack going on and the Temple would probably be in lockdown, or someone were trying to fight their way out. Anyways, with the rather heavy bombardment they would be in serious trouble, so I decided to go in and see if I could evacuate someone from below, so to speak. Little did I know then about the scope of what was happening.

I hurried 'back home' again and set my course towards the entrance by the foot of the central spire. I assumed it was most protected from the falling debris from the other two towers and no-one in their right mind would have been trying to get out near the falling towers anyway.

I managed to open the door leading into the base of the central spire and found my way up the stairs. I was on the level that contained the old prison cells when I heard voices. I could hear distant cries and the sound of blasters, but much closer I heard children cry. As both of you know being deprived of the Force connection is a terrible experience for every Force sensitive being, but for the infants and initiates it was devastating. The hatch up to the central spire was thoroughly closed and the Force deprivation affected me too so it took a while for me to get it open, but at last I managed to push it up and found myself in a circular room that obviously was inside the foot of the spire. From there it was quite easy to find the way out. There is a little corridor through the foundation of the spire and then another door or rater wall panel out to the cell block level. Force only knows where to find the opening mechanism from outside, but from the inside it was quite easy. I believe I almost scared the wits out of the others when I opened the door and urged them to come inside. The shouts from outside was louder there and I was really anxious to get them inside and shut the door before someone not-so-friendly turned up.

At first they didn't want to. Everything was so uncertain, but then Bant urged them to step in. Fortunately they did listen to her."

"Bant?" Obi-Wan exclaimed, "Is Bant alive?"

Ahsoka nodded. "She is. You will meet her tomorrow. She was the one who led the group down here. Master Nu had told her that there should be an entrance to the old Bendu Temple and that the old temple would be easier to defend if it came to that."

Obi-Wan swallowed hard. Like so many others Jocasta Nu had died defending the Temple, but she had at least managed helping some others to live.

"What about Garen? And Reeft?" he knew that there was no real hope for a positive answer to that question, but he had to ask anyway.

Mace Windu shook his head. "Nothing heard from them. We just have to assume that they were killed as so many others."

"After that we decided to stay here for a while," Ahsoka continued her story, "at least until things have calmed down, -if it ever does. For the moment we're pretty safe here, but in due time we will need to evacuate the younglings. They cannot stay down here forever. After the first days we were able to sneak up into the ruins of the Temple and get some equipment here so we have furniture, even though it's sparse, and we could save some medical stuff from the healers ward too. Two of the exits were closed quite permanently by the falling spires, but we keep the southern entrance and the northern entrance open. We closed off the central one under the main spire as good as we could. The others are blocked with rocks when we don't use them so it will be very difficult for someone who is not able to use the Force to get down here. Still, we've heard of these Inquisitors so we don't feel totally safe."

Obi-Wan stroke his beard, a certain sign that he was contemplating the question.

"No, you're right. These Inquisitors will be a problem. After what I've heard they are Force sensitive too, and that will make them formidable enemies. Hopefully they won't dig too deep in the ruins of the Temple, at least not yet. And as you said earlier, Mace, the terrible force inhibitors in the prison cells above will neutralize them as well as us. But I agree, you will need to move on. You cannot stay here forever."

"You mean 'we'?" Ahsoka said hopefully. "You will stay, won't you, Master?"

"No, Ahsoka, I'm afraid I cannot," Obi-Wan sighed, "I have other obligations but if there is anything I can do to help you, I will do so."

Then an idea struck him and he continued: "And I believe you will be needed elsewhere too, Ahsoka. No offense, but you're too much of a warrior to stay here, babysitting initiates and infants. But for now, I think we should rest if you have somewhere I can stay until the morning comes. We will need to make some plans."


	21. Reunion

Obi-Wan woke up by the sound of children's voices in the corridor outside his room. Well, his…? Ahsoka had given him her room ("You deserve a proper bed, Master." ) and promised that she would find another place to sleep for the rest of the night. "Blast it, have I become that old," he cursed silently to himself, "I shouldn't have to get a 'proper bed' yet. I'm only 38 for Force's sake." But the intention was good so he appreciated it as such.

He didn't have a clue of how early or late it was, since daylight was totally absent down here, but at least other people were up and awake. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He'd better get up and going. He opened the door and decided to follow the sound of voices. He'd rather not get lost down here. He didn't doubt that he would find his way out again, but on the other hand - why appear stupid in front of Mace Windu?

The corridor opened up into a larger room. It was definitely not as big as the Grand Hall he had entered into the evening, no night, before, but it was much larger than the sleeping chambers. Tables were set up and children and older masters were occupied by eating something that appeared to be first meal. He could see Mace Windu sitting by the end of on of the two long tables in the room. Ahsoka was sitting adjacent to him and beside him was another very familiar figure: Bant Eerin. His childhood friend. The closest he had come to having a sibling, though they were of different species. The one he had always trusted when everything else went wrong. He let go a deep sigh of relief.

The rather hushed voices gradually quietened when he entered the room, and mere whispers could be heard.

"Who is that?"

"It's…Kenobi?"

"Are we in danger?"

"Kenobi has survived."

"He can help us."

He could feel himself blushing slightly. All those years as a padawan and those latter years in the Council and he'd still not managed to get rid of that habit completely. He simply didn't like being in focus for other beings' attention. Oh, well, the danger of such wasn't big home on Tatooine… He pulled his best "Jedi Master" composure around him and steered towards Mace's table, unpleasantly aware of all the glances that followed him.

Then the relative silence was broken by Bant who jumped up.

"Obi-Wan! Mace and Ahsoka just told me that you had arrived tonight, but I could hardly believe it!"

"Undeniable so," he answered calmly. He felt an urge to hug her hard, but his jedi composure held. Displaying feelings so openly wasn't in his nature. "It's good to see you alive, Bant. I feared you…were gone."

"Get yourself some food, and come sit," Mace interjected. "it's not haute cuisine, but it is nourishing and far more edible than protein bars. We decided to let you sleep in this morning. "

Obi-Wan did as he was told, noticing that the children and the few masters that were present around the tables returned to their initial sound level again.

While consuming the breakfast he retold his story, deliberately leaving out the part about Luke's and Leia's birth. He wouldn't want anyone to know, not even Bant. A secret not told was a secret well kept. He could see tears glistering. in Ahsoka's and Bant's eyes when he came to the part containing the duel on Mustafar. Bant reached over to him and squeezed his hand lightly.

"What happened to you?" he asked. How did you get away?

"I was in the archives when the clone troopers arrived. We suspected a breakout of Lusatra flu and I wanted to check out if there were any particular precautions to be taken to avoid the spread of the flu. I didn't realize that anything particular was wrong before the first tower fell. I sprang up and was immediately shuffled away by Master Nu. 'The Temple is under attack,' she warned me. 'I have no idea what's going on but go to the creches as fast as you can and take as many crechelings and initiates as you can to the Bendu Temple. That should be hard enough to find and easier to defend if it comes to that.' Then she rapidly explained me the way to the entrance in the center spire.

I didn't ask how she knew. I realized that whatever it was that was happening was too serious for wasting time on questions like that, so I just did as I was told. Later I realized that she must have found that info in some old text describing the various building stages of the Temple.

When I came to the creche, several of the creche masters had gathered outside their dormitories, and I asked them to wake the children and bring as many as possible with them. In that moment the second tower fell and we heard screams and yelling from the Grand Hall. We hurried through The Garden of a Thousand Fountains, aiming for one of the less used corridors to get down some levels. Obviously the intruders had reached the Grand Hall so the direct route wasn't available. Just before we closed the doors behind us, i could see Cin Drallig and some of the older initiates taking stand before the doors, obviously trying to shield our escape.

On our way we were accompanied by some of the older Masters residing in the wing behind the healer's ward. I asked them to follow us, knowing fully well that we might need some backup on our escape route.

We managed to get down to the base of the central tower, and there I had a tough time trying to find the exit that lead to the Bendu Temple. That was when Ahsoka turned up and led us down here. At first I wasn't sure if we really could trust her, but then I decided that staying was more risky than following her. And here we are."

Obi-Wan nodded, for once in lack of the right words. Bant's story was founded on so much death and suffering for so many. The group ate the rest of their first meal in contemplative silence. The initiates had just begun to leave the improvised refectory, the older of them still casting half-hidden glances towards the famous General Kenobi.

"What's next?" he asked, directing the question towards Mace and Ahsoka.

Mace sighed and looked around. "Maybe we should retire to another room and discuss the matters? I don't want to unsettle the young ones. Master Jaa, would you like to follow us?"

The little group of five retired, to something that might have been a Bendu meditation room. Old stone benches were lined up in the room. The mosaic ceiling giving the impression of a night sky full of stars. They settled down on two adjacent bench.

Mace was the first to speak. "I don't really know what we should do next. It's clear that we are too few to fight the entire Empire. We would be overpowered and caught in a moment. As you could see the masters who escaped are very senior. With exception of Master Jaa here and Master Hilaris who both were sent to defend the creches, they are all retired Masters. The children are still far too young to fight. However, we need to find another hiding. We cannot stay down here forever."

"I understand what you mean," Obi-Wan agreed. "The Jedi will somehow have to regroup and grow again. We're in no condition to fight the Sith now."

The group silenced.

"Are there any abandoned Jedi Temple you may go to?" he continued.

Mace shook his head slowly. "I cannot think of one, really. We could go to Jedha, but I'm afraid that Jedha City would be under surveillance of the Empire. We need something more desolate like Ahkh-To, but again - that one may be too desolate. As far as I know there's nothing there but rugged cliffs and porgs. It's not the best place for the children."

"What about the one at Auratera?" Ahsoka suggested.

This time it was Obi-Wan's turn to shake his head. "No, definitely not. There's a vergence spot for the Force not very far from it. It could be dangerous if anyone came too close. Besides, the temple is mostly in ruins."

The room silenced again.

"Hmm, there was once when Qui-Gon and I was preparing for a mission in the outer rim. I was in the archives searching for some background information about that sector and then I came upon some information about a moon where an old temple was situated… I only I could remember the name… Wait a minute, it was Draay 2. The climate there is moderate as far as I remember and the atmosphere is breathable. Actually we wondered if we could use it as a base of our mission but we never came that far. I think nobody would start looking for you soon so far out in the outer rim territory."

"You're right. We even mentioned it briefly in the Council before you were assigned to that mission," Mace agreed. "That would be close to perfect, I think."

"We have a plan then," Obi-Wan stated, and then added slightly sarcastic: "The only minor challenge is how to find a ship and get 54 initiates and 11 masters on board right under the Emperor's sithly nose without him or his acolytes noticing. I do have a ship, but there's no way 'Banshee' can land on Coruscant without being recognized and besides, there's not enough space inside. She's quite a small ship. We will have to figure out something else."


	22. Plans

"You're absolutely right Obi-Wan, 'Banshee' will be too small for hyperspace travel for all of us," Mace agreed, "we will have to come up with something better than that."

"Or at least larger," he added with a wry smile.

"It's not exactly as we can buy one, on the open market," Bant sighed.

"No, we can…wait…what…what did you say?" Obi-Wan woke to life again. "Say that again."

"I said, it's not like we can buy it on the open market," Bant repeated. She'd learned to know Obi-Wan's bright ideas throughout the years and now was obviously the time of one to appear. "Do you really mean we can?"

A brilliant smile spread over Obi-Wan's face, and made him at least five years younger.

"No, maybe not on the open market, but what about a closed one, or rather one that is…a bit in the shadows?"

Now he had the full attention of his comrades.

"Explain yourself, Master Kenobi," Mace shot in.

"Hondo," Obi-Wan explained, "Hondo Ohnaka. I assume he's still 'in business' and for the right price I'm sure he could get us a suitable transport. that is, if he's not already in possession of one."

"Obi, Hondo is a pirate. We cannot deal with him," Bant interjected. "Besides, he won't do it for free, and we have no credits."

"Well, that's not exactly true," Mace commented, "actually we have quite a lot of activa, and now, with Obi-Wan here, we can possibly get to them…"

Four pair of eyes glared incredulously at him. The fifth, Obi-Wan's, returned his gaze knowingly.

"The vault," he said, " with two from the council present, that is you and me for now, we should be able to open it."

"Right," Mace concluded, and then turned to the others, "running a Temple full of initiates, crechelings, knights and masters is not for free. The Jedi Order basically use donations from the republic and other benefactors, but we do have our own reserves gathered in a vault in the lower level of the Temple. For very obvious reasons there has to be at least two councillors present to open it, and as far as I know no one has taken over the status after the attack of the Temple. The vault is not known among most jedi, but all members of the Jedi Council know about it and two or three have to be present to open it. If one of the Council members are the Master of the Order or the Grand Master two will suffice, else there need to be three. Which means that Obi-Wan and I should be able to open it together. And while we're at it, I suggest that we bring with us as much as we can when we leave. We're the only Jedi left from the Temple of Coruscant and as such we should secure the values and bring with us as much as we can to our new settlement."

Obi-Wan nodded. "This is a special situation and the values might come in handy both to rebuild the Temple on Draay 2 and besides, there could be other…fractions out there that in due time might need some financial support."

Mace Windu raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Others?"

"Yes, others," Obi-Wan confirmed. "There are people out there who are aware of the Emperor's darker sides to put it that way. They consider that other means than pure elections may be needed to have him removed now."

"Another war?" Mace asked incredulously.

"Yes, well, from a certain point of view. I don't know if it actually will happen or when, but if it happens I assume there will be some sort of rebellion. This time the Jedi will not be an active part of it, that's certain enough, but I do think that others eventually will work for a change," he explained.

The four others watched him silently, and then nodded as if they were able to see the reason behind his words.

"Yes, I assume it will," Mace sighed, "will you be a part of this, Obi-Wan?"

"No, yes, maybe…" was the crystal clear answer.

"What do you mean?" Bant wanted to know.

"Basically that I don't know for sure. I cannot be some kind of a war chief," he explained, "but I have been asked if I could possibly help with strategy and tactics if it ever becomes necessary. I have agreed to do so, if it doesn't endanger my other obligations."

Again the quizzical looks from his comrades, but this time he pretended not to take notice.

"Are these 'others' Jedi?" Master Jaa shot in.

"No. Before I came here I believed I might have been the sole survivor, except for Master Yoda," said Obi-Wan. "If there are others they must be few and very scattered. We will definitely not be many enough to fight the Empire ourselves."

Mace looked up. "Let's imagine we actually can get some kind of ship from Hondo, and let's further assume that we can get away from here alive and undetected. Wouldn't it be wise to search for other survivors and if needed help this rebellion more actively, that is if one is formed? "

Obi-Wan looked him straight in his eyes. "I cannot. I cannot tell you exactly why, but I have other obligations to tend do, so I cannot roam the galaxy as some Jedi herder."

"I wasn't thinking of you. I was thinking of Ahsoka. If she could be the 'herder' you could be her…consultant, so to speak. She was a very capable padawan, and now she's even stronger. She could be out in the field while you were…doing what you must. In-between her missions she could return to Draay 2 and help with the 'saber training of the younglings. We will have to adapt to the changes but we should continue the training of the younglings after our best abilities."

Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka. "What do you think? Could you do it? Would you do it?"

Solemnly she looked from one face to the other. She had left the jedi. She hadn't trusted them anymore back then, but still they were home. They were her family. And she had been a well trained padawan, on the brink to knighthood. She could do it. Or at least (and blast it, Yoda) give it a good try.

"Yes Master," she said with a twinkle in her eyes,"I would. I'm not much of a caretaker anyway."

"When that is settled, I suggest that we try to get into the vault tomorrow, and then Ahsoka and I will find a way to get off planet, pick up my ship and go find Hondo to see if that old pirate actually can find us a ship to get all of you off planet," Obi-Wan said.

"Am I going with you?" Ahsoka asked incredulously. "I thought you wouldn't take on any active missions."

"I'm not," Obi-Wan answered, "but neither you nor I are capable of piloting two ships at the same time, so both of us are needed to go see Hondo. Just like in the old days. Almost."

"While we're at it, how do we get off planet? Do you have a spaceship here waiting for us to take off," Ahsoka wondered.

"That will be a problem," Obi-Wan admitted. "I do have a spaceship, but it's placed in the spaceport of Nar Shaddaa. I wanted to be sure I came here…incognito."

The five jedi quietened. Neither of them could find an immediate solution to how Obi-Wan and Ahsoka could get through the heavily guarded spaceport. "We cannot depart from there," Ahsoka concluded."You would be recognized immediately."

Obi-Wan sighed: "I dislike to involve more people than I have to, but maybe Dex can help. Again. He knows people."

"We'll send out young Ramen tonight. He can check it with Dex directly, and if Dex has a solution they will agree upon a code that can be used. We have a very old fashioned comm transmitter which Dex is using when he has supplies ready for us," Mace explained. "We keep communication at a minimum, but it is functioning."

Obi-Wan spent the rest of the day with Bant, knowing fully well that this might be his last chance to spend time relaxing with his childhood friend. There would be few, if any, chances to meet again if they really managed to ship the surviving jedi off to Draay 2 and he himself would have to go back to Tatooine to watch over Luke and continue his 'extended Force training' with Qui-Gon.

….

The next morning after first meal Obi-Wan and Mace Windu set out to open the vault. It was with some reluctance and great care they managed to lift the debris from the center exit of the old Bendu Temple, as the force dampening shielding from the cells above also affected their abilities to feel any potential life forms in the close proximity to the cell block of the Jedi Temple. They were lucky, nobody was there. They walked quietly through the corridors, stepping lightly over debris and stray bricks that was scattered over the floor. Ahsoka and Master Jaa followed suit. Finally they stood in front of the huge door to the Jedi Temple's vault. The opening mechanism seemed intact.

"Now?" Mace asked.

"Now, is as good as ever," Obi-Wan retorted. "If it doesn't recognize us the extra security locks will be activated and we will need 4 council members. Mace threw him a glance as if to say '"Don't be overly optimistic now" and laid his left hand on the scanner plates to the left of the door. A pale light flickered to life in the plates, colors seemed to swirl around his fingers, ending in a set of virtual sparks. The sparks turned green, -a pale electric green color which changed into angry red.

"Access denied."

"What?"

"I believe there is a problem," Obi-Wan said quietly.

"What?"

"When you registered, you had two hands…"

"Oh…"

"But for sure," Ahsoka shot in, "they must have foreseen that something like that could happen. Isn't there an iris scanner somewhere?"

The two council members looked at each other.

"Activate iris scanning," Mace said.

In front of Mace Windu a hatch slid up and a mirror like background appeared. He stared into the opaque surface. Iris scanning.

This time the green sparks around his single left hand print stayed green.

"Your turn."

Obi-Wan had already positioned himself in front of the set of plates to the right of the vault door, and repeated the process Mace had performed some minutes earlier. The sparks turned first blue, then green. The hatch in front of Mace opened again and a new iris scan took place. A soft 'click' could be heard and a similar hatch opened in front of Obi-Wan's face.

A soft buzz could be heard from the inside of the massive door and finally it slid aside.

The four jedi stepped in.

Obi-Wan had only been in the vault once before, and he drew his breath sharply. The walls were covered with shelves and priceless artifacts from a distant past were neatly placed on them. Only a few of those sold on the open marked to a rich collector would probably have given credits enough to support the Temple for months, maybe years.

"I think we should go for some Iridium bars and maybe one or two Mythra bars," Obi-Wan suggested, "I don't want that old scoundrel Hondo asking questions of where some valuable artifact has come from. The Iridium bars are more neutral. But we should come back and bring with us some of the more precious artifacts before leaving. They represent values, but also to some extent our history."

Mace nodded in agreement: "Seems like a plan. But we should also bring a couple of the artifacts which have a more historical value to the Order. Force alone knows if we ever will be able to come back here, and our past should not be totally forgotten. And by all means, let us choose the ones that are easy to carry."

Each of the four jedi filled a small sack with Iridium bars and Obi-Wan added two Mythra bars for good measure. Then they exited the vault with their prey. They made repeated transports to the safe areas inside the entrance of the Bendu Temple before they finally closed the vault by repeating the process they had performed when opening the door. This time Obi-Wan was the first to put his hans on the two plates.

They withdrew to the Bendu Temple in silence, making sure that the heavy stones that shut the entrance below the hidden panel leading into the central spire were neatly blocking the corridor again.


	23. Hunting Hondo

When the evening came and the sun had settled over Coruscant the following day, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka snuck out of the old Bendu Temple. Some of the Iridium bars were evenly distributed in two satchels. Additionally Obi-Wan was carrying the two Mythra bars. As they gradually left the somehow protecting ring the Force seemed to create around the Jedi Temple, the streets and alleys became more crowded and they had to hide every now and then to keep Obi-Wan out of sight. His jedi attire wasn't the wisest choice of clothes if he wanted to stay unnoticed, but that was what he had and he didn't feel very comfortable with changing into more civilian clothes either. Ahsoka's tight fit bodysuit, however, was more alike the clothing of the more shady inhabitants of these levels.

They came to Dex's Diner just after closing time and while Obi-Wan stayed well hidden behind the containers in the backyard watching their satchels, Ahsoka took on some good old-fashioned wall climbing to make Dex aware of their presence.

A few minutes later the backdoor to Dex's storage room was opened carefully and Obi-Wan hurried inside.

The Besalisk was waiting inside with a slightly worried expression on his face. "I understand you're seeking transport from Coruscant?"

Obi-Wan confirmed that.

"I see. I happened to talk to a more or less regular customer of mine yesterday. He's leaving the planet today and could be willing to take on a couple of passengers, for the right price that is. He's a gambler of profession, but he doesn't mind some extra money so he's willing to make a…let's say…touchdown in the Works area before he's leaving. But he won't take you on unless the price you're paying is satisfactory. "

"That is acceptable," Obi-Wan said, and Ahsoka nodded. "We will go there and see if we can negotiate a fair price."

A little less than two hours later the two were waiting in the shadows nearby the meeting point they had been given. The plateau that stretched out in front of them had once been a landing spot for huge transport ships shipping interplanetary raw materials to a not insignificant amount of the larger factories in the area. The place lay dark and relatively quiet before them. Only a couple of stray hobos were slowly making their way through the area in hope of finding a fairly safe and shielded place to sleep during the night.

"There it is," Ahsoka whispered. With her sharpened Togruta senses she could see more clearly than Obi-Wan in the dark. A small nearly disc shaped ship came in towards the landing spot. No landing lights were lit.

"He's almost as crazy as Anakin," Obi-Wan exclaimed in a muted voice, "this is going to be interesting."

As soon as the ship stood on the ground a hatch was lowered beneath it and the two jedi jogged lightly on board. They were met by a rather dark skinned human male. Brown, intelligent eyes were glittering in the half lit cabin and his smile revealed a row of white teeth.

"Welcome on board on 'Falcon'," he greeted them. "I'm Lenzo Calrissian and this is my ship Millennium Falcon, one of the fastest YT series freighters that was ever build. I reckon you want a lift to…somewhere else, -for the right price, that is. I suggest we take off immediately before we draw too much attention to the place. The poor people who live here, probably need their sleep to behold their beauty. We can negotiate the payment on our way. Dex ensured me that you were honorable people."

"Sounds like a plan," Obi-Wan agreed. "I am Ben, and this is Ashla,"

Ahsoka raised a quizzical eyebrow towards him, but restrained herself from commenting on the name change. After all she had told him herself that she had used that name after the jedi purge, just to be on the safe side. Someone might have noticed the apprentice of 'The Hero with No Fear'. Better to lay low.

The ship took off in a gliding, smooth movement. Obviously Lenzo was alone without any first mate on this trip, and he was obviously a skilled pilot.

"Now, where are you going?" he asked. "This baby can take you out into wild space in no time."

"We don't need to go that far," Obi-Wan retorted."Florrum will be more than good enough."

"Florrum? What in the stars and galaxies are you going to do there?"

"None of your business," Ahsoka shot brusquely in.

"Well, now, Ashla," Obi-Wan interjected, "no need to be rude towards our friend here. He might even help us. We're going there to seek out Hondo Ohnaka. We have some business to close with him."

Lenzo rolled his eyes. "Business? With Hondo? You're crazy. Nobody does business with that sneaky little monkey-lizard anymore. His business has been going down since the Emperor came to power."

"Still we're hoping that he has a ship to sell," Obi-Wan said calmly," and besides, the monkey-lizard is his pet. Hondo is the sneaky one."

"Your trouble, my income," Lenzo said, "…and talking about which, what about my payment for flying you there? If you still insist on Florrum, that is."

"We most certainly do. We do not have credits per se, but I assume that you will be able to transform an Iridium bar into more convenient currency?"

"Iridium? You're more crazy than I first thought. Are you really carrying Iridium bars around to pay for a trip like this?"

"Not solely for that purpose, no. But it's more…ah…concentrated than credits, and we'd rather avoid the banking clan. What do you say? Is one bar enough to get us to Florrum?"

"I'm a kind and caring man," their pilot affirmed,"for that price I'll even wait to see if Hondo is to be found before I leave, just in case. The two of you is too good income to be left in that hellhole if he's not there."

The Millennium Falcon entered hyperspace.

….

"If you want some rest, there are some bunks in the passenger compartment," Lenzo explained. "Feel free to use them. It will take us almost a couple of days to get to Florrum. Actually I will set the 'Falcon' on autopilot and take a nap myself."

He stretched forward and pushed the right control buttons, and then leaned back placing his feet comfortably on the control panel.

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked at each other and got up.

As they walked towards the passenger area of the ship, Obi-Wan commented: "We could sleep in shifts but I sense no deceit in him. He's a gambler and a scoundrel, but I think he has his own code of honor and will not be a threat to us as long as we're aboard his ship."

"You're sure of that?"

He nodded.

"Well, let's find a ration bar and go to sleep."

…

The Falcon landed softly on Florrum's surface near Hondo's old pirate nest. The surroundings were all too familiar to both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. Lenzo had happily received his Iridium before they disembarked and promised to wait for some hours before he took off again. The two jedi instinctively set off for a hill nearby Hondo's quarters, in a silent agreement that they would have a look at the place before approaching the infamous pirate leader.

The camp seemed oddly quiet. During their previous visits to the place it has been bristling with activity, now only a couple of Weequay pirates could be seen walking around, then two more who appeared to be guarding the entrance of Hondo's main quarter, force alone knew what from.

"The direct approach?" Ahsoka asked, while lifting an eyebrow quizzically.

"As good as any," was the wry answer and with that the two jedi descended the hill.

The two guards startled and lifted their guns towards them as they approached and Obi-Wan lifted his hands disarmingly.

"Lower your weapons, we're looking for Hondo."

"Hondo's not here," was the rasping reply.

"Where is he?"

"Dunno' , he doesn't tell."

In the corner of his eye Obi-Wan could see a small monkey-lizard running into the cave like opening that led into Hondo's quarters. Most likely it's lord and master wasn't far away.

"Too bad, we wanted to do some business with him, but since he's not here we'll just continue somewhere else. Our ship is waiting for us in case he wasn't here."

"Business? Someone said business?" a hoarse voice rasped out from somewhere inside the cavelike hiding. Seconds after Hondo Ohnaka came staggering out.

"Idiot," he said and slapped the guard in the back of his head,"you know I'm always home when business is coming up."

The guard kept his mouth wisely shut.

Then he straightened: "Kenobi, my old friend. How are you? It's good to see you, you always mean good business for me…"

Then his face darkened: "Well, actually you don't. Mostly I have ended up being on the losing side when doing business with you. What do you want this time? And where is that friend of yours, Skywalker?"

"I am here do do business with you," Hondo,"that is, if you have something to offer, which I want to buy. Skywalker is…not here."

"That I can see," Hondo muttered , "I wonder why. Maybe it is because a price is on your head, eh? I've heard the Emperor is paying good for stray jedi. Maybe you have come here so your good friend Hondo can turn you in and earn a lot of credits?"

"Not exactly," Obi-Wan retorted dryly, "I am looking for a ship. It needs to be a freighter that can carry quite a lot of goods. It will need to have a hyperdrive, a functioning one, that is. And if necessary it should be able to add some extra fuel cells to it. It wouldn't hurt if it had some Imperial codes either."

Hondo tilted his head. "A ship, huh? Carrying goods? Stars end, Kenobi, have you begun a new career as smuggler?"

"Something like that," Obi-Wan confirmed.

"And you have credits so you can pay for a ship?"

"Not credits, but I assume you can make value from Iridium bars."

"Iridium? You jedi have stepped up a notch, last time it was barely a matter of credits and I got half of my camp blown up," Hondo complained.

"Do you have a ship, or do you not?" Ahsoka shot in impatiently.

"Ah, yes that is the question," Hondo answered, and shrugged, "I may or I may not. Depending on the payment."

"Six Iridium bars. Standard weight," Obi-Wan said solemnly.

"Six?! Do you think Hondo is a fool? I would be for selling you a ship for that price. My ship is a good freighter but she's big. I need twelve bars for her."

"Twelve, no way. We can have two ships for that price on Nar Shaddaa."

"So that's why you have come here then? Bah! You know that Hondo Ohnaka is a serious, trustworthy businessman. Why being fooled at Nar Shaddaa when you can make a good bargain with me? Come, I'll show you."

The old pirate started to walk with energetic steps. The staggering old man that had come out form the base was totally gone. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka followed.

"I have this old Sentinel Class shuttle, it was originally build for passengers but I'm sure you can bring whatever other things you want in it as well," Hondo proclaimed, "it's in excellent condition - for it's age, and it is equipped with a hyperdrive."

"Check it, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan ordered.

"Yes, boss! Yessir."

Hondo looked hurt. "Do you not trust me? Do you really think I would cheat on you after so many years of friendship. Well, actually I would, but not for 10 Iridium bars, for that price I'm an honest man."

"For that price I also want to have 10 spare fuel cells, else I'm not willing to give more than 8, if the ship is in proper condition."

Hondo tilted his head thoughtfully. "You are a tough man in negotiations, Kenobi, but be it as you wish. After all the price of our friendship cannot be estimated in credits."

Half an hour later Ahsoka joined them. "It's all good," she said, "it's not a luxury transport, but it seems to function well and it has the right size. It will suit our needs."

Obi-Wan handed the agreed upon 10 Iridiumbars over to Ohnaka.

"As always a pleasure to do business with you, and I would appreciate some …discretion about our visit here," he said.

Hondo accepted the Iridium bars and in a moment something that resembled a soft expression felt over his face. "I will send my men over with the fuel cells. It may be wise if you stay in the cockpit. Only the two guards have seen you and the less who see you, the less can talk about you turning up here."

Then he turned and set off towards the base while Obi-Wan and Ahsoka entered the cockpit of their new ship.

…

"Hey, you there. Lazy gundarks. Get ten spare fuel cells into the cargo of the old Sentinel," Hondo ordered. "And then return here at once."

The guards that had been on their post by the entrance looked at each other.

"Boss, are you really letting those two get away? Don't you know that the Emperor has promised large bounties for surviving jedi. That man is worth a fortune…"

He never made it to finish the sentence before Hondo's large saber pierced his chest.

"You never saw those two," he ordered the other guard. "Clean up this mess."

The remaining, terrified guard grabbed his companion and began to drag him away.

"Kenobi, Kenobi," Hondo sighed dramatically, "now you even make me kill my own men. Oh, well, if he had given you in to the Empire my reputation as a honest businessman would have been ruined forever."

Behind him a Sentinel Class shuttle lifted up in the air, and set off up in the sky, followed by a Corellian YT 1300f freighter by the name 'Milennium Falcon'.


	24. Detour

"Why?" Ahsoka demanded to know.

"Why what?"

"Why did we have to go here the both of us? We never made it to Nar Shaddaa to pick up your ship."

"You are perfectly right, we didn't."

The jedi master's calm reply made Ahsoka's temper nearly spin off and out into wild space, then she saw a slightly mischievous glimpse in his eyes and calmed down. A bit. Kriff it, he knew her too well.

"I really intended us to go to pick up my ship," he explained, "but when I realized that Calrissian was willing to take us all the way to Florrum, I found that to be wiser. The chance of being detected is higher at Nar Shaddaa."

Ahsoka nodded in agreement. That made sense. It wouldn't do any of them any good to be spotted by imperial eyes right now.

"Could you please check out the communication equipment on this vessel and send the agreed upon code to Dex before we enter hyperspace. We will land at The Works at third hour, in three standard days from now, Coruscanti time…"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I sure did, but Master, it took us only two days to get here. Why are we going to use three back home?"

"Because we are making a detour," Obi-Wan explained patiently.

"Duh! I realize that, but where, and what for?"

One of the Jedi Master's brilliant smiles lit up the cockpit. "Since you're the one who is piloting this ship, I guess you will have to know. We're going to Ryloth. Please enter the coordinates there into the navcomp before we make the jump to hyperspace."

Ahsoka gave him a quizzical glance but did as she was told.

"When we dropped in at Dex's place before leaving Coruscant he gave me a message from one of my…other friends. We're going to Ryloth to pick up a transmitter with an extremely good coding and "anti-tracking" device built into it. I will need that to keep in touch with you and with…the others. I need to do my uttermost to hide my whereabouts and in particular my hiding place, but it will also serve you since outgoing messages will be very hard to track as well."

"So you really will keep in touch, Master?"

"That I will do, yes."

"But why is your hiding place so secret? I mean, I do understand why the Empire must be kept from knowing, but why don't you trust us with this. Whatever 'this' is."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Ahsoka, I trust you. I trust Mace. And there are some others I trust as well, but anyone can break under pressure and with the right…interrogation. What I do not trust are these rumored 'Inquisitors'. I suspect that they may have some nasty ways of persuading people to talk. So, the logic is still as simple as it was during the Clone Wars. What you don't know, you cannot tell. I am secretive, but the secret I'm keeping is not mine to tell, and others may be endangered if I do. That would be very inconvenient. I'm truly sorry if this make you all feel that you cannot trust me anymore, but there's nothing I can do about that."

A tear came to view in Ahsoka's eyes. "I'm sorry, Master. I do trust you, and so does Master Windu. I guess it's just that…I missed all of you so much during that time on my own and I hate to see you leave again."

"I know," Obi-Wan stretched out a hand and gave her slim shoulder a comforting squeeze, "I know. It's lonely out there when you're on your own, but from now you will have your base with the other surviving jedi, and with the communication device we're going to pick up we will keep in regular touch with each other as well."

"I know, I guess it's just that I haven't realized yet that I have…got my family back, sort of," Ahsoka sighed, "and therefore I don't want to see any of you go again. But I heed your words, Master. I will do my part of what's needed to do."

Obi-Wan's heart made some extra beats when he heard the old fashioned phrase. He had so often used it himself after being on the receiving end of one of Qui-Gon's reprimands. Hearing it directed towards himself made him feel old.

"You were always a good padawan, Ahsoka, and an even better grand padawan since I didn't have to raise you," he said, trying to hide his sudden spark of melancholy. And as soon as he had uttered the last word he realized his mistake.

"Master?" Ahsoka's big blue eyes shone towards him with sincere curiosity. "What was it that really happened to Skyguy, I mean, Master Anakin?"

Blast it. He'd tried so hard to tell his story without going into detail with regards to his last hours with Anakin, but now it all seemed to be in vain. He simply couldn't lie to Ahsoka. He couldn't tell her about Luke or Leia or where he was hiding, but he could tell her about Anakin's turning. She, if anyone, had the right to know.

"He…turned," for the first time in his adulthood Obi-Wan had to search for words, and was not surprised when he saw her eyes become even bigger in shock.

"No!" Ahsoka exclaimed, "there's no way he did. He couldn't have…did he?"

Double blast it to the nine sith hells. She didn't know in detail what had happened in the Chancellors office. Obviously Mace had left out that part of the story. He sent a very unjedilike thought to his friend.

"He did," Obi-Wan braced himself for the next minutes,"I don't know fully how but somehow the Sith must have convinced him that he was better off abandoning the Jedi and following the Sith. He made his decision in the Chancellor's office. Mace saw it happen when he was there to arrest the Chancellor. It was…Anakin who chopped off Mace's arm."

"No…" Ahsoka shook her head vigorously in denial.

"Yes," Obi-Wan confirmed, "and it was Anakin who lead the attack on the Temple. Master Yoda and I saw it from the recordings from the security cams. There is no doubt. It really was he."

"What happened then?"

"We split. I begged Master Yoda not to be the one who should go after Anakin, but he refused to let me off the hook, claiming that I would be no match for the Sith Lord. Probably he was right, so I left to stop Anakin. I missed him barely. When I tracked him to Senator Amidala's apartment he had already left for Mustafar. She went there to find him and to talk some sense into him. I hid in her ship. Little did I know what would happen. If I had, I would have stopped her.

When she disembarked the ship they began discussing right away. He wanted her to follow him, she refused. I decided to intervene, and in the moment he saw me he began to force choke her. I'm not sure, but it seemed like he at that time suspected something inappropriate had happened between us. It was then I knew for sure he was lost. The Anakin I…we…knew would never have laid a hand on Padme, nor would he have accused me for…well…you know. He refused to surrender, so we fought. We fought amidst the falling debris where our sabers hit the metal construction when we slashed out for each other, we fought amidst the floating lava and the intense heat. It felt like it lasted for an eternity, but in reality it must have been less than half an hour. I won. He made a mistake, attacking me from some floating debris in the lava stream. I…I…severed both his legs and one arm. Then I felt darkness approach, and I turned to get Padme and myself off planet. I should have killed him. The heat from the lava set him…on fire, but I couldn't, just couldn't kill him. It was merciless of me not to do so, but Force, I just couldn't do it. So I ran. We took off in the very moment when a shuttle emerged from hyperspace. I suspect it was the Sith's."

The cockpit became unpleasantly silence, then Ahsoka looked up and wiped her eyes.

"I always wondered what would happen if the two of you once had to fight each other. I guess I know the answer now. Do you know if he…made it?"

"I don't know. I suspect he did, because I believe I would have felt it if he died, but the place where our training bond was is dead. Our bond was broken years ago when he was knighted, but the reminiscence of that bond was still existing and we could sense each other later on as well. I'm sure I would have felt him die."

"Me too," Ahsoka whispered, "but I have not felt such a thing either. Do you think…?"

"Yes, I saw…him on the holonews. Vader. It must be him. I couldn't feel anything because what I saw on the news was only an image, but he seems to be the Sith's pet and the armor may be to compensate for the injuries. I may have involuntary created a monster."

Ahsoka grasped his hand for a moment, then let it go, knowing fully well that he was not a man who chose to show his feelings openly. "I'm so sorry, Master. I'm so sorry."

"I know," he drew a deep breath, "we will reach Ryloth in a few hours. Le's try to sleep a few hours each. I can take the first watch. I don't yet trust the autopilot blindly."

….

The orbit over Ryloth was as quiet and peaceful as if the Clone Wars never had reached the planet and Ahsoka set the Sentinel Craft carefully down at the assigned landing spot. The had not set their course towards the main spaceport in Lessu, but instead they had got coordinates to a small mesa not far from the outskirts of the capital.

"Switch off the lights, we don't want to attract anyone's attention," Obi-Wan warned.

Ahsoka followed the instruction given.

"There's nobody here," she sighed, " Master Obi-Wan, are you sure this is the right place?"

"We will wait and see," was the slightly cryptic answer.

They waited in silence. Suddenly Ahsoka straightened in the pilot's chair.

"There, I can see light from glow sticks there, just by the rim of the mesa."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, but couldn't see anything, yet he trusted the Togruta's sharper senses.

"Open the hatch. Let's meet them outside."

The hatch opened relatively soundlessly and the two disembarked.

Now Obi-Wan could see the glow sticks as well, there were two of them, moving in a straight line towards them. Two figures emerged from the surrounding darkness.

"Identify yourselves!"

The voice coming from the darkness bore the authority of someone with long experience in addressing others.

Slowly Obi-Wan moved his right hand to his utility belt. A silent 'click' could be heard when he detached his lightsaber from the belt and ignited it. For a moment he held it in a vertical position in front of him so his face was illuminated by the blue glow, then he switched it off an placed it back in his belt.

Ahsoka cast a slightly worried glance towards him, but said nothing. The air felt tense, but there was no warning from the Force to be sensed in the darkness of the night.

One of the two persons put down whatever they had been carrying between them and calmly stepped closer.

"Master Kenobi, it's a pleasure to see you again, it has been a long time."

Obi-Wan bowed: "Indeed it has been, Cham Syndulla, the pleasure is mine. Did you bring the 'goods'?"

"We did. It was quite heavy actually. We hid it up here a couple a days ago, so we went up by foot tonight as a landing spacecraft and speeders moving towards the mesa might have caused some unwanted attention. My compliments to your pilot, Master Jedi, it was a very discreet landing."

A sharp sound as if pebbles were crunched beneath a foot made the quartet startle.

"What was that?"

"I think we have a visitor," Obi-Wan said calmly, "come here little one, we know you're there."

"I'm not that little!"

A small twi'lek girl, maybe ten standard years old stepped forward. She had a pointed chin and huge almond shaped eyes with the most stunning green color Ahsoka and Obi-Wan had ever seen.

Cham Syndulla sighed: "I should have known. I told you explicitly to stay at home. Why did you follow me?"

The little girl was not so easily beaten and stubbornly she raised her pointed chin: "I was curious, dad. You hardly ever go out this late anymore, so I wanted to know what was going on."

"And you'd better forget what you've seen. This is not meant for children."

Then he turned towards the two jedi: "I apologize. This is my daughter Hera. She's a handful sometimes."

Obi-Wan bowed slightly to the little girl: "A pleasure to meet you, Hera Syndulla, but your father is right. This meeting was not intended for children."

The girl straightened for a moment and then said with dignity: "I apologize. I will not tell anyone. I promise, Master Jedi."

Obi-Wan hid his smile, hiding behind his hand as he stroke his beard thoughtfully.

"I appreciate your discretion." Then he turned towards Cham: "We appreciate your help in this matter. We shall bring the goods onboard ourselves and we will leave immediately after. It has been good meeting friends again."

The two grown up Twi'leks and one smaller one turned and soon they disappeared over the edge of the mesa, down into the jungle at it's foot.

"Well, let's get the crates on board. I believe some frivolous use of the Force is in place right now," Obi-Wan concluded and stretched a hand towards the two crates resting on the ground some meters away.

The crates lifted from the ground and floated graciously towards the ship, up the landing ramp and into the closest storage room.


	25. The Escape

"Where to now, Master?" Ahsoka asked casually. "Do you want me to bring you back to your ship before I continue to Coruscant?"

Obi-Wan had been quiet when they proceeded into orbit after takeoff from Ryloth. He seemed to be in deep thoughts, almost a meditative state.

"Huh? Sorry Ahsoka, can you please repeat what you just said?"

Ahsoka repeated her question, with an uncharacteristic patience.

"Yes. No. I mean, I'm not sure…"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes: "What exactly does that mean? Don't tell me you are having one of these 'bad feelings' of yours again? I need to enter some coordinates here and it would be good to know where we're supposed to drop out of hyperspace."

"Actually I do," Obi-Wan confirmed sheepishly. "I have a bad feeling…"

"Oh, no! Not again. You're too often right for my likings," Ahsoka sighed, "do you have any idea what it's about?"

"No, not really, but I sense…danger. The Force is warning me of something."

Ahsoka frowned: "When were we not in danger, Master?"

"Good point. Set the coordinates to Coruscant at The Works where Calrissian picked up us, with arrival one hour past midnight as we agreed with Master Windu. We will have to do the pick-up quickly as a ship coming from orbit without known identification will attract some attention. It will take them some time to realize that our identification signal isn't valid anymore, but we will have to work quickly. "

Ahsoka keyed in the specified coordinates, then she stretched her back and yawned: "Let's get some rest when we're in hyperspace, shall we? I can take the first watch. I guess we shouldn't entirely trust the autopilot even though it worked well on the leg to Ryloth?"

"You go to sleep," Obi-Wan retorted, "after all you were the one who just yawned. I will wake you up 6 hours from now, unless something happens where both of us will be needed."

…..

The journey was uneventful. Ahsoka had chosen a zig-zag route, changing coordinates for the hyperspace travel every sixth hour so when they entered Coruscant orbit they came from a totally different direction than Ryloth's.

The ship's comm system crackled to live.

"Unidentified Sentinel Class ship entering orbit, this is Coruscant Space Control - please identify yourself and your destination."

Ahsoka drew a deep breath and activated the comm unit for outgoing messages: "Sentinel 47-136 destined for Coruscant Space Port docking area with agriculture goods. Please advice landing dock."

"Identification not known by system. Please repeat."

"Sentinel 47-136 destined for Coruscant Space Port with agricultural goods. Don't tell me that the agent have forgotten to send you the files again?" Ahsoka put a reasonable amount of annoyance in her voice.

"No pre-landing information on this ship has been received by Coruscant Space Control. Please leave Coruscant Orbit at once."

"Stubborn bantha," Ahsoka muttered between clenched teeth, "I assume you cannot use mind tricks from a distance, Master?"

Obi-Wan shook his head slightly amused.

"Thought so," then she clicked the comm into 'send' again, "Space Control, this is Sentinel 47-136 requesting landing access to docking area for agriculture shipments. I don't know how our agent has managed to mess up this, but I'm sure the Emperor will not be happy when he doesn't get fresh Balmorran beans for the next two weeks or so."

The comm silenced for a moment.

"Sentinel 47-136 is cleared for landing in Coruscant Space Port, sector 24, dock 1024. Please ready ship for inspection upon arrival."

"Roger," Ahsoka confirmed, "ship will dock in sector 24, docking 1024. Will be ready for inspection."

The comm went silent.

"Balmorran beans?" Obi-Wan raised an incredulous eyebrow, "How did you come up with that one?"

"Easy, I was making attention to the 'Galaxy Characteristica' lessons in the Temple," Ahsoka grinned, "Balmorra has vaste agricultural areas and the Sith were located on the planet for centuries. The beans were my invention though."

"We will have to get them on board swiftly. The Space Control will see we're deviating from the given course when we turn towards The Works. They will immediately realize that something is wrong," Obi-Wan instructed.

"Sure thing, Master. I will set shields to maximum power in case we're attacked from the air. If they send only ground forces we'll have to fight them off, I'm afraid and that may mean use of lightsabers…"

"That is a problem," Obi-Wan agreed, "since only Jedi, and Sith, use lightsabers we will have to ensure that no-one leave to tell about the encounter, if we are met by less friendly 'hosts'. Even though we're leaving, such an observation will lead to an intensified hunt for living Jedi throughout the galaxy. That is something that should be avoided if we can. We should have bought some blasters from Hondo as well, but again, they're not suited for deflecting bolts from the enemy's blasters."

Coruscant Space Port was approaching in view and Ahsoka corrected the course towards the assigned sector 24 and reduced the speed of the craft as if she were going to dock in a few minutes. The slight tension in the cockpit increased.

"Now!" Ahsoka and Obi-Wan exclaimed in unison and with a determined movement of the ship's controls Ahsoka turned right and set off towards The Works.

"Sentinel 47-136, you are deviating from the assigned course, please respond," the comm squealed.

"This is Sentinel 47-136, controls failed, I repeat, controls failed. Going down." Ahsoka screamed, and then shut off the comm.

"Now, hopefully they will have to rethink that one for some seconds before they realize what's going on and send out a search party."

The ship screeched to a halt with a less than velvet smooth landing.

"Ouch," Obi-Wan sighed when his teeth were abruptly clenched together as the ship made impact with the ground.

Ahsoka ignored him and opened the hatch. "Now, let's hope they're where they should be."

"I'll go out and get an overview," Obi-Wan said, "you stay here and get ready for a very swift takeoff. I have a strong feeling that it will be necessary."

As Obi-Wan's feet touched the ground he could see a group of one large and five smaller silhouettes running towards the ship, and he recognized one of the more elderly masters as the large one. He and two of the older initiates were carrying rather large satchels on their backs, -probably the values they had 'extracted' from the vault. Even the smaller initiates carried an Iridium bar or two with them.

The small group was quickly ushered into the ship. Another one turned up from another direction. Obviously they had split up and taken different directions from the Temple exit to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. Smaller groups were easier to hide in the lower levels of Coruscant.

The groups were coming in various combinations. Some were consisting of a couple of master and two or three initiates. Other were mainly consisting of older initiates or a mixture of older and younger initiates. Good. Several equally formed groups would have seemed more suspicious to any prying eyes.

"Fortyfour…fortyfive…fortysix…fortyseven initiates - and 10 masters on board," Obi-Wan counted in the arriving groups. "Two groups more, it seems. But where are they?"

Then a group of younglings appeared, sprinting towards the ship, and right behind them two speeder bikes screeched to a halt. Two dark intimidating figures jumped off the speeders and set towards the younglings.

"Halt! You scum. Identify yourselves!" One of the persecutors shouted.

"Hurry! Get inside," Obi-Wan shouted as he saw one of the younglings was slowing down a bit, as it to follow the request from the dark figure.

"Who are you, and what is going on?" The other figure demanded to know.

"We are transporting people away," Obi-Wan explained politely. "The Works is not a good place to stay for younglings in the middle of the night. There may be unpleasant individuals around."

"What is it to you?"

"Let's just say I'm working in the humanitarian sector."

Stretching out with the Force Obi-Wan could sense the suspicion and…darkness emanating from the two individuals. Not good. Darkness could only mean two things, either the two were Sith or they were a couple of the unknown 'Inquisitors'. Not good indeed. As neither of them could be recognized as Darth Sidious himself, the latter was more plausible.

The two gave each other a glance and without warning they both ignited something that looked like double bladed lightsabers, no, it actually was double bladed lightsabers, and sprinted towards Obi-Wan in unison.

"Now, this is going to be interesting," was his last conscious thought before he dived into the Force to find his way to fight the two opponents.

He drew his own 'saber and met them half way. At any cost he wanted to keep them away from the ship's hatch. Firstly, he really didn't want them to enter, secondly, he wanted to keep them away so the last group of younglings and Mace could get on board if they emerged from the shadows. This would certainly be a busy match.

Elegantly he sidestepped the attack from the tallest opponent while his own lightsaber clashed against the other's in a classic parry. Quick as a lightening he dashed out for the first attacker as soon as his own blade was free from the parry movement. The battle became a fireworks of red and blue crisscrossing the air as parries and attacks moved back and forth. Obi-Wan delved even deeper into the Force, determined to fight the two opponents with all he had in him. Using his well known Soresu skills he managed to parry both attackers with a firm efficiency and for some minutes he kept them at bay waiting for an opening to attack himself. He really needed to even out the battle somewhat. To fight two opponents was doable. As a skilled Jedi Master he could handle that, but their double blades made it more of a challenge as he needed to keep track of both ends of their 'sabers. Then he suddenly realized - he had two 'sabers as well. In-between the parries and blocks that seemed to annoy the two Inquisitors immensely, he managed to detach his other lightsaber, the one he had kept from Ventress' funeral pyre, from his utility belt. With a soft hiss it sprang to live.

The smallest one of the couple gave a little yelp of surprise when the red blade ignited in Obi-Wan's left hand. Seeing one person fight with both a blue and a red lightsaber was not a common view to any 'saber wielder.

"Who is he? What is he?"

The question was left hanging in the air as the battle intensified. With two 'sabers Obi-Wan changed from the defense focused Soresu style to the more defense/attack centered Djem So, alternating between parrying and attacking. He could briefly feel the attacker's annoyance swirl and flutter in the Force. Then he heard swift steps coming down the ramp from the ship and he saw a white lightening flash to his left side.

"Leave this one to me!"

Without any doubts he sidestepped lightly and focused on the remaining opponent, knowing fully well that Ahsoka most likely could handle the other. A former Padawan of Anakins would handle anything that involved a lightsaber. With a quick downward movement he slashed his opponent's saber in to. One half of the 'saber fell to the ground while sparks flew out of it's handle. The other half was still functioning and it's owner tried desperately to defend himself towards the red and blue blur formed by Obi-Wan's lightsabers, but the efforts were in vain. As one of the Order's best 'saber wielders through known history Obi-Wan easily deflected a downward slashing from the Inquisitor by letting his saber slide down the side of his own blue saber and in an instant his red saber blade found the attacker's chest.

The inquisitor fell to the ground, his dark eyes scrutinizing Obi-Wan for a moment before they closed.

"Ken…obi, I…should…have known. Alive…."

Then he silenced for ever.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan sighed, "this was not the jedi way. I had defeated you and still I had no choice but to kill you."

Then he turned towards Ahsoka and her opponent just in time to see the other Inquisitor fall, decapitated by one of Ahsoka's white lightsabers.

Silently they shut down their 'sabers just in time to see a group of small initiates sprint towards the hatch with Mace Windu right behind them. Simultaneously two V-19 Torrent Starfighters appeared in the direction of Coruscant Space Port.

"What took you so long?" Obi-Wan muttered, and then to Ahsoka "we've got everyone on board. Run. We need to take off immediately before those two birds get reinforcements."

Ahsoka was already half way up the ramp heading for the pilot seat of the craft.

"Give me the controls," she shouted and one of the elderly masters who had kept the engines running while she jumped out to help Obi-Wan sprang out of the seat in a speed much higher than should have been possible in his highly advanced age. Mace Windu was already buckled in in the co-pilot's seat.

"Get down and strap yourselves in with whatever you can find," Obi-Wan shouted to the frightened initiates, "this will be a rough take off."

"Deflectors are up on maximum power," Mace Windu commented calmly from his position as the engines roared to life and the ship rose from the ground.

"Set coordinates towards Dantooine," Ahsoka ordered, while the ship shivered and shuddered in the veritable hailstorm of energy bolts shot from the attacking star fighters.

The deflector shields held and the Sentinel Class ship entered orbit without any damage.

…..

A tall dark clad figure emerged from the shadows his black robe waving behind him as he strode forward and gazed down at the two fallen Inquisitors.

"Lightsaber wounds," he breathed, and gave the head of the fallen inquisitor an irritated kick, "I should have sensed there still were Jedi on planet. My Master is not going to like this..


	26. Journey's End

Four days and numerous changes of routes in and out of hyperspace later the Sentinel vessel was approaching Nar Shaddaa. There had been numerous discussions among the escaping jedi of how they should get Obi-Wan and the crate with communication equipment back to his ship on Nar Shaddaa. Finally they settled for a direct approach. After all Nar Shaddaa was known as 'smugglers moon' so landing a ship and transferring a crate from one ship to another would be more of a daily activity than something suspicious.

As they entered orbit a somber tone crept into the conversation among the grown up jedi, and even the smaller initiates were less boisterous than usual. The truth was just as simple as it was slightly embarrassing. Despite all their knowledge about 'no attachments' they didn't want to see Obi-Wan leave. The feeling was evened out by the knowledge that he didn't want to see them leave either. And both parties knew they had to.

Ahsoka sighed: "I know I'm stupid and I know it's not jedi-like to feel this way, but since I never became a full fledged jedi I can do it anyway. I don't want to lose you again, Obi-Wan. It was hard enough the first time when I left the Temple, now with so few of us left, it is almost unbearable."

"You won't lose me, Ahsoka. We will keep in touch, at least if we can get me and this equipment safely on board my ship. And if you ever need me, I will be there for you. You know that. After all you are my grandpadawan."

"I know," she sighed again, "it's just so hard."

They were saved from more emotional outbursts as the ship exited hyperspace and Nar Shaddaa came into view. Ahsoka hurried into the pilot's seat and prepared for the landing procedures. When formalities had been exchanged with the Space Port Control and the course had been set for the assigned landing platform she turned towards Obi-Wan again: "How are you going to carry that crate of yours? This time 'frivolous use of the Force' won't solve the problem."

"I agree," he nodded solemnly, "this time I was more thinking about a gravsled and frivolous use of credits. I have a few left of the ones I got from…uh..my contact to get to Coruscant."

Ahsoka nodded again. "Makes sense. There are always a lot of dock workers around wanting to earn a credit or two."

As the ship was approaching the assigned docking area, Obi-Wan prepared his own landing procedures, removing anything in his outfit that might remind anyone of a jedi. One of the larger initiates was instructed to do the same. Obviously he couldn't carry the crate out of the ship alone and allowing a dock worker inside was out of the question as well.

…

An hour later he stood in the docking area besides the crate and saw the Sentinel take off. The final goodbyes and 'may the Force be with you' had been said. An overwhelming feeling of loneliness flooded him and he felt more miserable than he had done in weeks. For a few precious days he had been home again, not in quarters but among his own, and for a moment he heartily cursed his own stubbornness and determination to watch over Luke in that desolated, overgrown sandpit that was Jundland Wastes.

"Blast it, you have work to do," he muttered between clenched teeth and looked up to see if he could find anyone to help him with the crate.

"You! There! Find a gravsled and help me transport this crate to my ship in dock 27-317," he ordered a young brown haired boy who was working nearby.

"Me? Sir?"

"Yes, you. He flipped a credit to the boy. Go find a gravsled and maybe someone to help you carry this crate onboard. It's quite heavy and the crew on the ship that brought me here refused to help me as soon as we were on the ground," he added a reasonable amount of annoyance to his voice. Somehow he had a feeling that the term 'please' wouldn't work too well at this place.

For a moment the boy scrutinized him with a piercing, slightly anxious, look, then he accepted the task with a loud: "Yessir!" and ran away. A few minutes later he returned with the requested gravsled. "I'm sorry Sir, I couldn't find someone who was willing to help me on such short notice. Would it…would it be possible for you to help me lifting it onto the gravsled, Sir?"

Obi-Wan nodded curtly. "If I have to. Just let us get this over with. I need to get this where it's supposed to be rather quickly."

With the help from the boy he managed to place the crate safely on the gravsled and the boy began pushing it towards the right dock. Obi-Wan followed suit. As he saw the boy moving the sled a feeling of something…familiar struck him. The boy emanated something. He couldn't really recognize the boy, and still there was something familiar about him… No, it had to be just imagination.

"Banshee" was there waiting for him, apparently in the same condition as when he'd left. "Miracles still happen every once in a while," he thought. The spaceport officer really had kept his word. He entered the entrance code and the hatch opened smoothly enough.

"Put the crate in the cargo room back in the ship," he ordered the boy, who obediently did as he was told.

"Here you are." Obi-Wan counted some more credits and gave to the boy, who immediately ran away after grabbing the money with a dirty hand.

Obi-Wan closed the hatch behind him and left the spaceport. One hour later he returned. His minor excursion to Smuggler's Bar had made him several thousand credits richer and one precious Iridium bar poorer.

"Easy come, easy go," he sighed. In the last moment he had realized that Iridium bars suddenly appearing on Tatooine would most likely have lead to Jabba the Hut's full household of bounty hunters, mercenaries and other villains knocking on his door. Except the fact that they more likely would have knocked in the door, of course. Well, he missed his friends, his family, but he could do well without Jabba induced company.

The spaceport officer was the next one to visit from his personal "to do list". The same grumpy, slightly green skinned Toydarian was sitting in his office.

"Yes!" he growled when Obi-Wan appeared in front of his desk.

"I'm coming to pay the docking fee," Obi-Wan informed.

"Uhm-hmmm, that will be twelve hundred credits," Grumpy retorted.

Obi-Wan pulled the credits from his pocket and laid them on the desk.

The room quietened. Neither said a word. Another two hundred credits found it's way up from Obi-Wan's pocked and were put in a separate pile on the desk.

"For watching."

Grumpy nodded, and Obi-Wan turned towards the door. Then, on a whim, he turned towards the Toydarian again: "The brown haired human boy out there in the docking crew, what's his name?"

The Toydarian glanced icily back. "What's it to you? Nobody cares about names here. He's a good worker. He gets things done."

Then he scooped up the smallest pile of credits and put in his own pocket.

"You never heard it from me, human, but the others call him Jarrus."

Obi-Wan shrugged and left the office without a word. The name was totally unfamiliar to him.

…

Banshee rose smoothly from Nar Shaddaa's surface. Once again Obi-Wan aimed for a zig-zag course through hyperspace to ensure that any potential pursuers would lose the track. He was half way through his planned route when the answer to the question that had plagued him since he left Nar Shaddaa struck him.

"Blast it to all the nine sith hells and back again," he exclaimed and slapped his brow, "I knew I had seen that boy before. Jarrus, that grumpy Toydarian said. That boy might very well have been Master Billaba's apprentice, Caleb Dume. He met in the Council Chamber with his Master a couple of years ago so I should have recognized him. He must somehow have survived the purge, but I fear that Depa Billaba must have died. Mace said he felt her disappear from the Force and as her previous Master he should know. If he's alive, how many other jedi or padawans could be left out there?"

With an exasperated sigh he leaned back in the seat and continued his journey towards Tatooine, towards home.

…

The cave was still undisturbed, so Obi-Wan maneuvered the ship inside with much less effort than the first time he performed this operation. Still the ship was quite a lot to force lift but it was doable. He decided to leave the crate within the ship until the next day. He had flew in under the cover of the night and a good night's sleep would be preferable before he tried to find a hiding for the communication unit. After all he didn't want to keep all the eggs in one basket. Leaving the communication equipment inside the ship was simply not an option. He would have to find another cave higher up in the mountain to use as his communication central. Preferably one where he could close off the cave with a boulder to prevent any intruders or bypassers from seeing it.

But that would have to wait until tomorrow. Mace and his group wouldn't land on Draay 2 for some more days, so there was no urgency. Right now he would allow himself the luxury of going home and get a good night's sleep in his own bed.

He was asleep as soon as his head met the pillow, and for once it was a deep and dreamless sleep.

When he woke up the next morning the slightly bluish figure of Qui-Gon was waiting patiently in his living room.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Qui-Gon greeted him merrily.

"Good morning, Master," Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes wearily. A couple of hours more sleep would have been good, but instead he went to make some tea in the small kitchen area.

Qui-Gon said nothing, but raised an eyebrow quizzically.

Obi-Wan sighed: "There were more survivors, Master. I found Master Windu, Bant and Ahsoka with a group of younglings and some more geriatric masters in the old Bendu Temple beneath the Jedi Temple."

"Really? I thought the Bendu Temple was only a myth?"

"No, it was for real. Master Nu knew about it, Force knows how, and she gave Bant the information of how to find it."

"Do they intend to stay there?"

"No, they are on their way to Draay 2 as we intend to settle down in the old temple there."

"A good choice, I believe," Qui-Gon agreed. "it should definitely be desolate enough out there and the temple hasn't been inhabited for ages. But I sense you have more to tell?"

"I certainly have." And Obi-Wan told him the full story about his journey.

It took him most of the day, but when the midday heat was slightly diminishing he set out to find a suitable cave and set up his communication post. Once more he silently cursed Qui-Gon's present state that made it impossible for him to help carry things. Several hours later he had rigged the equipment in a cave far up in the mountains and a solar energy panel was well hidden outdoors so it could gather the energy from the sun and keep the comm station running. He had been careful to place the panel below a rock so that it wouldn't reflect the sunlight up into the sky. Who knew, there might be a ship passing every now and then.

Eventually he sat down in front of the equipment and aimed for the Sentinel ship.

"Seabird calling Kindergarten. Can you hear me?" A tiny smile flew over his face by the memory of Mace Windu's expression when the call names had been determined. The Korun master had been slightly furious at first, but then his sense of humor had gotten the better of him after all.

"We can hear you, Seabird. Loud and clear," came Ahsoka's voice in return. "We have estimated two days more to target destination, and then we will be busy settling in for some days."

"Copy that. I will contact you every second hour 10 standard days from now, and then we will determine more exact times for further communication."

"Copy that, Seabird. Meanwhile you may go fishing. Kindergarten out."

The communication unit silenced and Obi-Wan couldn't bare himself for smiling again. It felt good having some of his own out there again. Obviously Ahsoka still had the snippy attitude that hat earned her the nickname 'Snips' only days after she became Anakin's padawan.

Slowly he got up and returned to his home. He had come a long way through the last few months. He had seen the republic fall and Padme die. He had done his duty and almost killed Anakin, his brother in everything but bloodline. He had brought Padme's and Anakin's son to safety. Well, relative safety, that is, and he had got in touch with surviving jedi. He had felt more lonely and depressed than he ever imagined possible, but slowly, step by step, he was feeling less miserable. He would still feel sorrow and remorse when he thought about his son and brother, but he was ready to go on with his life. Maybe he would someday even forgive himself. He would perform the duty he had laid upon himself and watch over little Luke to ensure no harm came to him. He would do his best to follow the teachings Qui-Gon had for him and the path the Force had laid out before him. But every now and then he would be in touch with the world outside and if he could support the upcoming rebellion from a distance and help Ahsoka in her search for more surviving Jedi he would gladly do so. He might even go out there every now and then. There was still a job to do, a duty to be carried out.

As he reached the plateau in front of his hut he stopped. The twin suns were bathing the desert and the mountains in an amber light. As so many times before he felt a presence by his side as his Master turned up beside him. Again they could watch the sunset together, and it felt good. He had missed it for so many, many years.

"I'm glad I was allowed to share more sunsets with you, Padawan." The deep baritone voice floated into his head, and there was only one possible answer:

"Yes, Master. I am glad too."


End file.
